1 mark 1922
About This Note
This is an UNC example of Memel's 1922 Handelskammer 1 Mark emergency banknote (Pick P-2), featuring ornate Art Nouveau-style decorative borders on the front with fine crosshatch security printing and elaborate scrollwork. The reverse presents a charming colored illustration of a dune landscape on the Curonian Spit, printed by Gebrüder Parcus of Munich, with the note bearing authorized signatures from the Allied High Commissioner and local officials dated February 22, 1922.
Common. Memel notgeld from 1922 were issued in substantial quantities by the Handelskammer to address the currency shortage during the occupation period. While historically interesting, these notes were printed in multiple denominations and serial number ranges, making individual examples readily available to collectors. The Pick P-2 designation and UNC condition do not command premium pricing in the current market.
This notgeld (emergency money) was issued by the Handelskammer (Trade Chamber) of the Memel Territory during the post-WWI occupation period, when the region was under League of Nations mandate administered by the High Commissioner representing the Allied Powers. The landscape vignette depicting 'Düne auf der Nehrung' (Dune on the Spit) celebrates the distinctive natural geography of the Memel/Klaipėda region's Curonian Spit, while the bilingual German-French inscriptions reflect the international administrative control of this contested Baltic territory.
The obverse features a formal Art Nouveau design dominated by intricate geometric and floral decorative borders with elaborate scrollwork surrounding a central cartouche containing the denomination and issuing authority text. The security background employs fine crosshatch patterns typical of professional security printing. The reverse presents a picturesque landscape illustration of the Curonian Spit's characteristic sand dunes with blue water and sky, framed by ornamental green foliage and vine borders. This imagery celebrates the natural heritage of the Memel Territory, a region historically significant for its Baltic geography and cultural identity.
FRONT SIDE: 'Notgeld der Handelskammer des Memelgebiets' (Emergency money of the Trade Chamber of the Memel Territory); 'Eine Mark' (One Mark); Serial number 'No 3505O3'; 'Autorisé Memel le 22 février 1922' (Authorized Memel on February 22, 1922); 'Ungültig drei Monate nach Abruf' (Invalid three months after call); 'le Haut-Commissaire Représentant des Puissances Alliées' (the High Commissioner Representative of the Allied Powers); Signatures of 'L. Dusit' and 'H. Heinz'. BACK SIDE: 'Memel Notgeld der Handelskammer' (Memel Emergency Money of the Trade Chamber); '1 Mark'; 'Düne auf der Nehrung' (Dune on the Spit); Printer attribution 'GEBR PARCUS MÜNCHEN' (Bros. Parcus Munich).
Multi-color lithography printed by Gebrüder Parcus (Brothers Parcus) of Munich, a known security printer. The front employs black or dark brown monochrome printing with fine crosshatch background patterns for security purposes, while the reverse utilizes color lithography with green, blue, tan, and brown inks to create the landscape vignette and decorative elements.
This example bears serial number 3505O3 with signatures of L. Dusit (High Commissioner) and H. Heinz (local official), authorized February 22, 1922. Memel Handelskammer notes of this series exist with different serial numbers and occasionally varying signature combinations, though major design varieties are limited. The three-month validity period noted on the front indicates this was intended as temporary emergency currency.
