1 Mark, Nordische Messe Kiel, 1921

Notgeld began in 1914 out of necessity: coin vanished into hoards within weeks of mobilisation and towns printed their own small change because the Reichsbank could not supply enough.

By 1920 it had become something else. The shortage was easing but the collector market was not, and bodies of every kind commissioned decorative notes printed far beyond any local need. This one was struck for the Nordische Messe (Nordic Trade Fair) held at Kiel, the Baltic harbour and naval town that is the capital of Schleswig-Holstein, in September 1921. Fairs of this kind sprang up across Germany in the hard post-war years to draw trade; the note served as small change at the fair and was redeemable afterwards at the Kieler Spar- und Leihkasse, being demonetised on 15 October 1921. The design is signed O. Vogeler. As the 1-Mark value it is the top note of the set; its companions are the 10-, 25- and 50-Pfennig values; see [[notgeld-kiel-nordische-messe-10-pfennig]] and [[notgeld-kiel-nordische-messe-50-pfennig]].

The obverse carries a red anchor emblem and oval Kiel town views, with the legend naming the Nordische Messe in Kiel, "1 Mark," and the serial number. The reverse shows a mermaid with an anchor, headed "Nordische Messe Kiel" - a sea-maiden for the Baltic fair, joining the port's sailors' lore to the Nordic theme that runs through the set.