Saarland banknotes  (1947)

When the Second World War ended, the German territory was divided among the allied countries. In the zone granted to France is the small land of Saarland. This territory (or Gebiet) is then "detached" and civilly co-administered as a protectorate by France with "friendly" local authorities. The French government, which fears a new inflation of the Mark, decides to create a temporary currency, the "Saarmark" or "Mark Saar", pending the circulation of the Franc as legal tender throughout the territory of Saarland. On June 5, 1947, it is "oddly" the local authorities of the Saarland which signs a decree ordering the destruction of all the reichsmarks-paper as well as the allied banknotes still in circulation. Amputated from their currency, the Saars are then given six new denominations in notes of 1, 2, 5, 10, 50 and 100 Marks Saar. The banknotes are bilingual but have no symbolic signature and no creation date. This issue will finally be effective only a few months, because the law of November 15, 1947 allows the introduction of the Franc with a conversion rate of 20 francs by "Saarmark"! The end of 1947 saw the establishment of the Saarland Independent State.