Emergency money was made not only from paper, but a variety of other materials.
Leather
Several issues of emergency money made from Leather are known. Printed leather money was used in the Baltic area
in the 19th century in Dorpat, Pernau, Reval, Werro and Woisek.
Leather money was also issued during teh Inflation in Germany in 1923, e.g. in
Pößneck, Borna, Osterwieck and Paderborn
Wood
Money made from wood was made in many periods.
In China of the 13th century bamboo chopsticks were already used as money.
During the Pontiac's War (1763-64) in which the native Indians in Ottawa resisted the British power in the Great Lake area
money was used that was made out of bark of the birch tree. The wood-token of the Hudson Bay company were "denominated"
in beaver furs.
In Bohemia pieces of the checkerboard game were used as money in 1848.
Wood money is also known in Germany and especially Austria during the
Inflation in 1923.
Playing cards
Emergency money printed on playing cards was first issued in the Americas in 1865. The french colonial administration
had problems with the supply of banknotes and was therefore unable to compensate their soldiers.
It created money from quartered playing card, sealed and signed by the governor's treasurer. The money was in use for
several decades.
Later emergency money made from playing cards was used during the
German World War 1 and Inflation years.
Textile Fabrics
Emergency money printed on fabric is also well known. During the Boer War in 1902 shirting made from linen was used to
produce money. On the Khaki shirts the denominations were written with ink.
In Germany bills made from linen, silk and velvet were issued by the
town Bielefeld mostly for collectors rather than for
real usage in the aftermath of WW1.
Metal
The producer of Notgeld used whatever they had to produce Notgeld. In the later years they also deliberately used strange materials to produce the bills to attract collectors and possibly advartise their town or firm. The shown bill is made from tin foil by an aluminium producing company (Lautawerk).
|