1922 Germany 1,000 Mark Overprinted Eine Milliarde Mark Reichsbanknote P-83 Hyperinflation Red Stamp

1922 Germany 1,000 Mark Overprinted Eine Milliarde Mark Reichsbanknote P-83 Hyperinflation Red Stamp

This compelling 1922 German 1,000 Mark Reichsbanknote has been officially overprinted with “Eine Milliarde Mark” (One Billion Marks) in red ink, transforming its original face value into an emergency denomination reflective of the rapid devaluation of the German Papiermark. Issued during the final months of Germany’s economic collapse, this overprint note vividly captures the desperate government attempts to adapt to a currency system that was losing value by the hour.

Authenticity:
This is an authentic German Reichsbanknote, originally printed with a denomination of 1,000 Marks, then revalidated with an official red overprint of Eine Milliarde Mark during the late 1923 hyperinflation crisis. These transitional overprints were authorized by the Reichsbank as a way to rapidly keep currency in circulation without needing time-consuming new print runs.

Historical Significance:
By late 1923, Germany’s postwar economy had completely unraveled. In just under a year, the Papiermark lost almost all its value, necessitating increasingly massive denominations. Rather than print entirely new notes, the Reichsbank overprinted older notes with inflated values. This note, dated 15 December 1922, was already obsolete by 1923 unless it was revalidated with the "Eine Milliarde Mark" (1 Billion Marks) red overprint, making it both a product of necessity and a poignant emblem of economic chaos.

Design and Features:

• Obverse (front):

  • Portrait of Justus von Liebig, the famed German chemist and agricultural scientist.

  • Original denomination: Eintausend Mark (1,000 Marks), printed in ornate Gothic script.

  • Overprinted diagonally in red with "Eine Milliarde Mark"—changing the value from 1,000 to 1,000,000,000 Marks.

  • Serial number: 13 AF 290235, located at top right.

  • Text promises redeemability at the Reichsbankhauptkasse in Berlin.

  • Double Reichsbank eagle seals below the denomination.

  • Dated 15 December 1922, signed by the Reichsbankdirektorium.

• Reverse (back):

  • Highly intricate guilloche pattern featuring “Reichsbanknote” and “1000 Mark” at the center.

  • Large red overprint again reading "Eine Milliarde Mark" across the note diagonally, affirming its adjusted value.

Catalog Number:
Originally Pick #83 (1,000 Mark, 1922), later modified during hyperinflation via official overprint—not always separately cataloged due to its transitional nature but highly collectible.

Collector's Value:
Overprinted banknotes like this are especially prized by collectors for their historical immediacy and visual contrast. The red “Eine Milliarde Mark” stamp atop the conservative black-and-tan 1922 design captures a surreal collision of orderly finance and runaway inflation. A must-have for those collecting Weimar Republic currency, emergency issues, or the most symbolic examples of hyperinflation in world history.