DENMARK - OLD NOTE - PLEBISCITE AREA OF SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN & NORTH DENMARK ZONE 1 - Plebiscite issue dated 1920 - Rare GRAASTEN 2 Mark Banknote - Note is in very lightly handled condition with a small corner turn/fold, it has seen little or no circulation, so grades at least Extremely Fine - many would grade as almost UNCIRCULATED - A superb example of a hard to find Emergency Banknote.
Catalogue Reference:- BAKOWSKY SPEZIALKATALOG NORDSCHLESWIG #13-33.
DENMARK/GERMANY - OLD NOTE - PLEBISCITE AREA OF SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN & NORTH DENMARK 1920 - 2 MARK ISSUE.
Gråsten or Graasten (Danish) and Gravenstein (German), is today a small town with a population of 4,228 on the East coast of the Jutland Peninsula. At the time of the banknote's issue in 1920 and up to 2007, it was a Municipality in its own right.
A Spectacular looking and very interesting note this - it was issued at the time of the Referenda held in towns and Cities of Schleswig-Holstein following the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, where the people on both sides of the German/Danish border were allowed to vote on the issue of whether they were to be governed in the future by Germany or Denmark.
This Banknote is for the scarcer denomination of 2 Mark.
The note is in Multicolours on one side (the reverse, which is the first scan) and in Shades of Brown on Light Greyish Blue on the other side (the face, which is the second scan).
On the face of the note there is an image of Adolph Ditlev Jørgensen (1840-1897), he was born at Gråsten in the Duchy of Schleswig. A historian, writer and important cultural figure; he had graduated with distinction in 1859, after that he became a school teacher. Following the Schleswig War of 1864, somewhat disillusioned, he went to Copenhagen where from 1869 he was an assistant in the Danish National Archives and from 1874 a deputy clerk. Eventually in 1883 Jorgensen became National Archivist, when he took over the management of the Danish National Archives and carried out a modernization, which included the establishment of three provincial archives. From the 1870’s onwards he turned his hand to writing - he penned a number of history books and biographies during this period up to the 1890’s.
The denomination as '2 Mark’ appears on the face in at the top right of the note, below this is text regarding the issuance of the emergency banknote - 'Denne Pengeseddel taber Gyldighed 1 Maaned efter Bekendtgørelse i Hejmdal - meaning roughly 'This Banknote loses its validity 1 Month after the Order announced in Hejmdal, Hejmdal was the local newspaper published in in Åbenrå.
Below under the words 'Paa Byens Degne' - meaning - By the City Clerk, there is a signature, underneath which is Geaasten. Februar 1920. Followed by Serial No. 01075 in Dark Brown.
The reverse of the note in the left third of the note has the image of a Danish woman, she is emptying a Golden Horn which was full of Graasten Apples, into a sack. Behind her is the Red and White Danish flag. The rest of the note has a panoramic view of the palace/castle, called Graasten Slot, as seen from the other side of Gråsten Slotssø (Gråston Castle Lake). At the top right of the note is the word 'NØDPENGESEDDEL' which means Emergency Banknote in English. The date 1920 is below this and the denomination as '2M' is at the bottom left and right of the illustration.
SPECIFIC HISTORICAL DETAIL - The note has Danish text on both sides, with fairly Politically charged images. Because of the imagery with the Danish flag, on the reverse of the note, the Authority set up by the League of Nations for overseeing the Plebiscites, actually banned this note. Subsequently they tried to stop it from circulating as well. This particular banknote has a number of different types as a result, with perhaps at least 8 different versions, all documented in various catalogues. This particular note has the following characteristics - The image of Jørgensen is taken from a photograph - other versions of the note use a line drawn image, The note is printed on White paper - other versions of the note use light Buff coloured Chamois paper. The printers name is printed in Red at the bottom right - on other versions of the note, it is printed in Brown. The Serial or Control number has characters 4.5mm high printed in Black - on other versions of the note the numbers are 3.5mm high and sometimes printed in Red. The printers name printed in Red at the bottom right, in the margin is 22mm long - on other versions of the note the name is 25mm long.
The note is large sized - 115 x 76mm. It was designed by J Lyck of Satrup. It was printed by the firm of A.Ritscher of Graasten.
This old banknote is crisp and clean and in near pristine condition, with a little light handling and a small corner turn at the top left only, so therefore grades at least Extremely Fine. It should be borne in mind that most would probably grade as almost UNCIRCULATED. The note is scarce in this condition.
Low Buy it Now price of just £16.50, with a Make Offer option. In this condition the note catalogues at 20 Euro.
See my other banknotes in my eBay shop where most are available, immediately at Buy it Now prices! Most with a Make Offer option.
HISTORICAL EXPLANATION - This note was in circulation at the time of the Referenda held in Villages, Communes, Towns and Cities of Schleswig-Holstein following the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, where the people on both sides of the German/Danish border were allowed to vote on the issue of whether they were to be governed in the future by Germany or Denmark, this note is from one of the areas that voted to become part of Denmark. Graasten was in Zone 1 and in the plebiscite in that zone fewer than 25% of the population voted to be part of Germany, with 77.1% voting for Denmark and in the Municipality of Graasten itself, 62% voted for Denmark.
See my other banknotes in my eBay shop where most are available, immediately at Buy it Now prices! Most with a Make Offer option.
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