Banknotes, East Germany, & Women's Rights

This time on Note Nook: a 10 mark note from East Germany in 1971. The note features Clara Zetkin, the grandmother of German communism. But she was more than that. She was an early campaigner for women's rights and even helped to set up the first International Women's Day in 1911. Although there were many problems with the policies of the DDR, the basic concept of equality is important and one we still haven't really solved.

A banknote tells a story from a particular point of view, attempting to unite its users and inspire faith and confidence in the issuing country and its banking system. Currency only works when users will accept it in exchange and have faith that other users will do the same. It also needs to be difficult to copy so as to discourage counterfeit, and the security measures embedded within a note are always interesting to examine.

Note Nook is researched and presented by me, W.B. Hafford, archaeologist and economic anthropologist. It is a sub-set of a more conceptual series of money lectures, called Money Talks. The banknotes featured come from my personal collection and many are heavily worn. But circulation of a note means it has fulfilled its purpose, and wear patterns can tell us a great deal. Pristine notes may be valuable for most collectors, but for an anthropologist interested in usage and history, somewhat worn notes are often more interesting.

Supplementary imagery is drawn from Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons license.