5 reichspfennig 1942

Common. The catalog valuation data from 2008 established a modest UNC value of $50, with recent eBay sales showing PMG-graded examples (PMG 53, PMG 65) selling for $51-$170 range. The availability of multiple comparable sales across different grade levels over recent years (2019-2024) indicates steady, regular market supply. Wehrmacht military payment notes, while historically significant, were produced in substantial quantities to serve active-duty personnel across multiple theaters and time periods. This particular denomination (5 Reichspfennig) was among the most commonly circulated denominations within the Wehrmacht system, further supporting a common classification. Print runs for Wehrmacht payment vouchers were typically in the millions.

Issued as Behelfszahlmittel (auxiliary payment means) for the Deutsche Wehrmacht, this note served exclusively within German Armed Forces internal circulation during 1941-1942, as explicitly stated in its restrictive inscription disclaiming public legal tender status. The dual official stamps on the reverse—likely representing Wehrmacht administrative and field medical or quartermaster validation—underscore the military administrative apparatus controlling this parallel currency system. The note's existence reflects the Nazi regime's compartmentalization of military finances separate from the civilian Reichsmark economy during the height of WWII operations.

This military payment voucher features a symmetrical, formally austere design emphasizing Wehrmacht authority. The front displays the denomination '5 REICHSPFENNIGE' at top and bottom in prominent text, flanked by twin Wehrmacht eagles—the distinctive Reichsadler (imperial eagle) with swastika, serving as the primary heraldic symbol of Nazi German military authority. The central field contains the restrictive legal disclaimer in German, emphasizing this note's exclusive use within Wehrmacht currency circulation. An ornate geometric border frame surrounds the design in red/pink ink. The reverse shows two official circular stamps: a blue-inked stamp on the left (presumed Wehrmacht administrative seal with eagle) and a red-inked stamp on the right (likely representing field or medical unit validation, incorporating a red cross symbol). The overall typography is clean, sans-serif German modern style typical of official 1940s German administrative documents.

FRONT: '5 FÜNF 5' (5 FIVE 5); 'REICHSPFENNIGE' (REICHSPFENNIGS); 'BEHELFSZ​ÄHLUNGSMITTEL FÜR DIE DEUTSCHE Wehrmacht' (AUXILIARY CURRENCY FOR THE GERMAN ARMED FORCES); 'DIESER SCHEIN IST KEIN ÖFFENTLICHES ZAHLUNGSMITTEL, SONDERN NUR FÜR DEN GELDVERKEHR INNERHALB DER DEUTSCHEN WEHRMACHT BESTIMMT' (THIS NOTE IS NOT PUBLIC LEGAL TENDER, BUT ONLY INTENDED FOR CURRENCY CIRCULATION WITHIN THE GERMAN ARMED FORCES). BACK: Two circular official stamp impressions with partially legible text, one in blue ink (eagle emblem) and one in red/pink ink (red cross symbol and organizational text—specific inscriptions too faded for confident translation).

Letterpress or offset lithography, printed in single or two-color process (red/pink). The uniform color saturation, crisp border definition, and two-color stamp impressions on the reverse suggest mechanical printing rather than hand-produced security documents. The fading and color degradation visible in the visual analysis reflects 80+ years of aging of the inks and paper substrate rather than printing quality deficiencies. Known Wehrmacht payment vouchers from this period were typically produced by German state printing works (Reichsdruckerei or authorized security printers), though specific attribution for Pick M20 requires specialized catalog research.

Pick catalog designation M20 indicates this is a cataloged variety within the Wehrmacht Behelfszahlmittel series. The visual analysis documents two official stamp varieties on the reverse (blue and red ink stamps), which may represent different field validation marks or administrative variants. Without access to serial numbers, specific date variations, or printer marks in the provided images, additional variety distinction (such as stamp position variants or reprint editions) cannot be definitively established from this analysis. Collectors should cross-reference with specialized Wehrmacht currency catalogs for documented varieties, particularly regarding stamp ink colors, positions, and issuing authority marks visible on the reverse.