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Seals of the central banks
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In the first half of the 20th century all banknotes issued carried the seal of the
central bank
that issued the notes. These seals are an interesting detail that show the changing fashions and
political situations of the German past.
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The following seals were printed on banknotes issued by the
Reichsbank in Berlin.
They nicely show how the design and make of the banknotes became less and less sophisticated
because of the increasing inflation.
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The Reichsschuldenverwaltung in Berlin issued the
Darlehnskassenscheine. The following are the seals from such banknotes:
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After the Inflation - during the Weimar Republic
- and later in Nazi Germany during WW2 the
Deutsche Rentenbank and
Reichskreditkasse (both based in Berlin) were in charge
for the provision of money. Seals on paper money during the late 1930s and early 1940s show
the eagle holding the Swastika of the nazis. As all other areas of German culture and daily
live the banknotes became a means of
propaganda and "Gleichschaltung" (unification).
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Seals were not only printed on the money but they were also frequently pressed into the paper,
as shown in the following examples.
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Worth mentioning is also the stylistic development of the
German Eagle within the seals. The eagle is consistently used throughout the times.
But the way it is displayed again tells a lot about the fashions and developments. While in
1910 the eagle is presented in the gracious style of the
German Empire, in the 1940s its style coincides with the force and aggression of
Nazi Germany.
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