Books on Notgeld

I am often asked what the best books are for those looking to learn more about Notgeld. While there are many great books to choose from, determining which ones might be “best” can differ from one collector to another based on many factors. Therefore, the following is an incomplete list of books related to Notgeld which will be updated periodically:

Series Notgeld Books

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Serienscheine Band 2: Spezialkatalog by Kai Lindman

Probably the most widely used reference book for dedicated collectors. Includes catalog values for all notes. Written in German. A few English translations in the introductory sections.

Pros: • Includes many major and minor varieties. • Large format, easy to read text, everything fits in one volume instead of two.

Cons: • Very few images • Entire book is black & white

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Deutsche Serienscheine, 1918 - 1922 Band 1 (A → K) & Band 2 (L → Z) by Hans L. Grabowski and Manfred Mehl

Probably the most popular reference book for Series Notgeld due to the abundance of full color images for a majority of the listings. Written completely in German.

Pros: • Thousands of full color images • Probably easiest to find outside of Europe

Cons: • Since the catalog is divided into 2 separate volumes (A → K and L → Z) it can get pretty annoying having to switch back and forth when you’re researching a bunch of notes. • Smaller format (A5) means the text is smaller and harder to read for some. • Not as many varieties listed as Lindman.

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Serienscheine Band 1: Grundausgaben by Kai Lindman

A decent beginner’s “pocket-sized” reference book of “Grundausgaben”, or “Basic Editions”, from many of the issuing authorities, each with values listed. Written completely in German.

Pros: • Extremely affordable, often found for $5 or less in used condition. • Small format is appealing to some.

Cons: • Only covers very basic issues—missing hundreds of listings found in other books. • Very few images. • Entire book is black & white.