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50 Deutsche Mark
| Issuer | Deutsche Bundesbank |
|---|---|
| Year | 1960-1980 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | At centre, an intaglio-printed vignette of a male portrait derived from Barthel Beham's circa 1525 painting of Hans Urmiller with his son, set against a fine guilloche underprint. The denomination "50" appears in numeral form flanking the portrait, with the issuing authority "DEUTSCHE BUNDESBANK" and place and date of issue inscribed in letterpress. The overall colour scheme is rendered in olive-green and brown tones. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The central vignette presents an intaglio engraving of the Holstentor (Holstein Gate) in Lübeck, the medieval double-towered brick gatehouse with its arched passage bearing the inscription "CONCORDIA DOMI FORIS PAX", framed by foliage and set against a radiating guilloche background. To the left, the denomination "50" is enclosed within a scalloped rosette underprint, while to the right a circular Deutsche Bundesbank eagle seal is set within a starburst guilloche medallion. The numeral "50" also appears in the upper corners and lower right, with the anti-counterfeiting warning text printed in a vertical column at the far right margin. |
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| Comments |
The BBk I/BBk II series 50 Mark notes issued under Pick 21 span two distinct printing runs separated by subtle but catalogable differences in serial prefix formatting and signature combinations — the Blessing/Treue pair giving way to Klasen/Legband and later Klasen/Pöhl. Collectors often underestimate how meaningful those signature pairings are for dating individual examples within the 1960–1980 window.
Eidenbenz, a Swiss graphic designer trained in Basel, brought a disciplined typographic sensibility to the entire BBk I series. His work here was part of a deliberate postwar effort to rebuild confidence in German paper currency through clean, authoritative design rather than ornamental excess — a conscious break from the visual inflation of earlier Reichsbank issues.