1938–1945 Russia & Germany Battle of Stalingrad 2-pc Currency Note Set VF–AU

Brutal Battle of Stalingrad WWII-Era Notes

The Battle of Stalingrad was one of the most pivotal clashes of World War II. Fought on the Eastern Front in the heart of the Soviet Union from August 1942 to February 1943, the battle was waged as much for scoring political and ideological points as it was for a military victory since the city bore the name of the Soviet Union’s ruthless Dictator, Josef Stalin. For that reason, Nazi Germany’s own ruthless dictator, Adolf Hitler, der Führer himself, personally outlined the operational objectives for the battle, proclaiming that after its capture, Stalingrad’s male citizens were to be killed and its women and children deported. Outnumbered, outgunned, and poorly trained, the Russians held on until a massive Soviet counterattack turned back the Germans and forever changed the course of the war.

German And Russian Notes From The Second World War

Marked by ­fierce close quarters combat and direct assaults on civilians in air raids, Stalingrad stands as one of the bloodiest battles in the history of warfare, with an estimated 2 million total casualties. Following its defeat, the German High Command was forced to withdraw considerable military forces from other theaters of war to replace their losses. Here you have a two-piece set that features a Russian 1 Ruble from 1938, and a German 20 Reichsmark from 1940–1945.

• THE RUSSIAN 1 RUBLE NOTE features the traditional Soviet Hammer and Sickle as well as a patriotic image of a miner with a jackhammer that depicts Alexsei Grigoryevich Stakhanov, a mine worker who became a celebrity in the Soviet Union in 1935 for his efforts to increase worker productivity. Stakhanov’s name became synonymous with the campaign, which eventually came to be called the Stakhanovite movement, a program epitomized by diligent and enthusiastic workers who overachieved at their jobs, thus demonstrating the superiority of the Soviet Union’s socialist economic system.
• THE GERMAN 20 REICHSMARK NOTE features famed German artist Albrecht Dürer’s drawing entitled The Architect Hieronymus von Augsburg that was completed in 1506. More significantly, it features the dreaded Nazi swastika. The back of the note shows an engraving of the Brandenburg Gate. Born in Nuremberg, Dürer was a particular favorite of Nazi art collectors so it comes as no surprise that one of his works appears on this note. Nuremberg was also the site where the Nazis held their annual party rallies and where the Nuremberg Laws were declared in 1935, making anti-Semitism state doctrine. When part of the city was leveled by the Royal Air Force in early 1945 it was seen as an act of retribution against a city that had played a fundamental role in Nazi ideology.

Available Now In Very Fine To About Uncirculated Condition

Each note in this two-piece set comes in Very Fine to About Uncirculated (VF–AU) condition, which means they circulated in commerce. This is authentic World War II history you can hold in your hands—real pieces from one of the most savage battles in modern warfare. Secure yours today before our limited supply is lost to the history books!