The Twilight of the German Empire
Channel: Monetized History
Date: 2021-07-23

On the eve of the First World War, Imperial Germany issued one of its most iconic and bellicose banknotes, the Fleet 100 or Flottenhunderter. 
More than many modern banknotes, the 100 Marks banknote issued from 1908 to 1910 tells the story of when and where it was created. The conflict between agricultural and industrial ways of life is evident with the opposing images of Mercury and Ceres. The transformation from the old world into the new can be seen in the blackletter font and the art nouveau designs. The need to protect the tenuous German unification can be seen in the flotilla protecting the sea and Germania protecting the land. 
Whereas today's banknotes look to the past, this one is looking directly towards the future. 
Background music: Driving Concern, by Kevin MacLeod https://freepd.com/music/Driving%20Concern.mp3