Holocaust and Camp Banknotes - Poland - Łódź Ghetto - 20 Mark 1940

Holocaust and Camp Banknotes - Poland - Łódź Ghetto - 20 Mark 1940 A 20 Mark ghetto scrip note, dated May 15, 1940, issued for internal use within the Łódź Ghetto in occupied Poland, which was renamed Litzmannstadt during the German occupation. The ghetto currency was valid only within its boundaries and formed part of the economic and administrative system imposed upon its inhabitants. The note bears the printed signature of Mordechai Chaim Rumkowski, head of the Jewish Council in the ghetto. Obverse A green geometric design with a Star of David in the upper section. At the center appears "QUITTUNG ÜBER ZWANZIG MARK" (Receipt for Twenty Mark), with "DER ÄLTESTE DER JUDEN IN LITZMANNSTADT" (The Elder of the Jews in Litzmannstadt) below. The inscription "LITZMANNSTADT, DEN 15. MAI 1940" appears at the bottom. The denomination 20 appears in the corners, and the serial number is printed in red at the upper left. Reverse A seven-branched menorah appears in the lower-left section, with a Star of David in the upper right. The inscription "QUITTUNG ÜBER ZWANZIG MARK" (Receipt for Twenty Mark) appears above, while the denomination 20 is shown below. A German warning along the lower edge concerns the counterfeiting, copying or circulation of forged receipts. The note shows considerable circulation wear, including numerous folds, creases, staining, toning, edge wear and minor tears. An important Holocaust-era artifact and a material record of the financial and administrative system operated within the Łódź Ghetto.