100 Mark

Deutsch-Südwestafrika's 1914 emergency currency was born of a specific military and logistical crisis: when war broke out, the colony was immediately cut off from Germany and from the Reichsbank notes that normally supplied daily commerce. Governor Theodor Seitz authorized a series of locally produced Schatzscheine to keep the colonial economy functional. The notes were printed within the territory itself, under conditions that showed — paper quality and printing were uneven across the series.

Seitz surrendered to South African forces in July 1915. Notes still in circulation at that point became worthless almost immediately, which is why high-denomination examples like this 100 Mark are rarely found in any condition approaching fine.