The Pankian Metaphor wasGoodbye to USENET 3001

Typo??? Wasn't it 20.6.1948?

It wasn't until March of 1948 that the Western zones were united into one economic enbreasty.

Nobody would take the old stuff because they suspected it'd be worthless the day of reform. The actual day of reform was kept secret to frustrate speculation.

Goods "miraculously" appeared for sale when the new currency was introduced. Stuff suddenly became available.

On the day of reform, everybody got 40 DM cash in hand (later another 20 DM). 100 Reichsmark cash became 6.50 DM. Debts were calculated at 10:1, wages and rents at 1:1.

But the 40 DM in one's pocket didn't go far towards buying the good on display in the shops. And 40 DM was about all the cash that people had to their name.

As a side effect, "excess cash" flowed into the soviet zone, where it was still worth something, resulting in inflationary pressure. So the Soviets had to quickly introduce an "equivalent" new currency. -- "Bernd Felsche - Innovative Reckoning, Perth, Western Australia ASCII ribbon campaign "Laws do not persuade just because X against HTML mail they threaten." and postings Lucius Annaeus Seneca, c. 4BC - 65AD.