The Problem with German Coins!

Hey I'm not one to shoot down another countries currency, but I still refuse and don't quite understand why one would want to own a Nazi Swastika coin.. Honestly, the metal used to make it (the silver ones) were probably stolen from a Jew. Yet I see these coins a lot, and know they are quite popular...Its a part of that countries' history thats too dark to be over today. Even when I see a 1943 Steelie, all I see is a stark reminder of WWII, and the Holocaust. Any thoughts?

 

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Your aversion is understandable but it is a part of history. Perhaps for some they serve as a reminder of a time of madness. Remembering may help prevent a reoccurance.

 

Hm...I do agree remembering is very important, but personally I would never pay for one, and if for some reason I came across one I would probably destroy it. The symbol on that coin that someone may hold onto isn't dead with history. There are still those around today who follow that symbol and the ideology behind it. (Neo Nazis)...anyway just a piece of my mind...

 

Yes, personally I don't have any and I don't care to buy any. With that said, many ppl in Germany are trying to get past that part of their history.

One of the problems is the idea that it's cool to somehow look up to negative idols. It's a twisted way of thinking to me but maybe not to the collectors of these swastika laden coins.

I don't fully understand all the reasons for collecting these coins but maybe, just maybe. Maybe someone wants to rid the world of these coins. Who knows?

 

The inescapable problem with precious metals is that whether nazi gold and silver, Spanish colonial, Roman or any other, it can all be melted down and reformed leaving no trace of it's ill begotten past and what it once bore to represent... and the jewelry or coins we all now hold could have once been those from a malicious empire or political regime. The ones that remain, exist as a statement of history, what came before, what human folly got itself into and how imperfect is man, how flat out wrong and cruel human can be to human... so what of American gold and silver coins, wrestled from lands once inhabited by indigenous peoples, some say it a genocide as well, those materials then taken to create a new nation, to stamp symbolic eagles and statements of liberty and even mockingly, stylized portraits of iconic looking Chiefs and the peoples' treasured buffalos that were cut down before them... is it any different? I think not or we could not participate in this study and hobby of coins. All above were taken in struggle, unfairly and callously. Perhaps it is the ugliness of human nature, but to recognize that horrible past and come to terms with it so that it may not happen again, to question it and to what extents it corrupted civilzation and to reconcile with that past is utterly important. It is not wrong to possess such coins, but respect what transpired, those who suffered and educate against it ever happening again.

 

You missed my point, the Swastika and what it stands for is still around...Neo Nazi's they still exist and believe in that symbol. I have german currency all I am saying is that I DO NOT WANT ANY COIN OR ITEM WITH A SWASTIKA

 

Something to think about Krispy,
Being part German and American Indian made it tough for me growing up.
My grandfather gave me a few silver marks with the swastika which I will remember him by. He was persecuted for befriending a Jewish family and then spent 6 or so years in a Russian prison. When he returned home he was treated not so well by the Americans, more than half the farm was now part of the military base.
After all that he still had a kind heart and was so happy when he got the chance to visit America before he died. He didn’t like to talk about the war, I could see that it wasn’t something he wanted to remember, I will never know.
My grandmothers tribe was told not to believe in the Indian way and to behave like Americans. They moved near Laredo, TX and said they were from Mexico so they would be treated better. She (Winnie) also had a kind heart. Her tribes history tell many slaughters of other tribes.
It seems to me no matter what symbol you fall under there is plenty of bad history to go around.
My kids even get teased for being part German. I tell them they are American.
I don’t know whether to be proud or ashamed sometimes. Even today as a grown man I am called Nazi, kraut, skin head, half breed, etc, and to do it for the father land. We see the swastika symbol and remember “Never again”,
and to have a kind heart.

 

Well lets get one thing quite straight the Swaztika has been around a heck of a lot longer than the Nazi's It is actualy a symbol of good luck. Now I know some of you are not going to believe this LOL Now should I destroy this because it has a swaztika on it?



Sunga Empire 187-75 BC Cast copper 1/2 Karshapana Swastika & Elephant Cross & Bunny ears

Now I have German coins and stamps that have this symbol on them I have them in my collection because I collect that country not just one era, should I perhps pretend that the Holocaust never happend and destroy the evidence of that regiem?

I can fully understand if you do not personaly wish to collect items from a certain period of history, that is of course your perogative :high5:

 

Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. I can understand Goldstone's point. It is unfortunate that the Nazis had to take the "swastika" and permanently tarnish what it originally stood for: luck.

 

I refuse to collect coins from Mongolia until the Government of Mongolia
apologizes for the war crimes committed by Genghis Khan.

 

So I presume you have never heard of blood diamond and blood metal? It doesn't bloody matter what minerals they are - there have always been casualties and will keep on going on. If you refuse to accept any materials / minerals that may have any traces of blood taint, I suggest you not to use your computer right now. Just somewhere off my head, I vaguely remember that for every ton of gold mined, there are at least 6 deaths and 27 permanently disabled miners around the world. Not fun statistics.

Like danfierce said, people who deny history are likely to repeat it. This is why we need to preserve history, learn from our mistakes, correct it and live with it. Self denial is just two steps backwards.

 

Then don't collect them. I find it peculiar that you called the topic "The Problem with German Coins!", but then write solely about Nazi Germany's coins - not even that, only about those with a swastika. Oh well. I primarily collect pieces from my country, the Federal Republic of Germany, and from other euro countries. Older pieces from roughly this area, such as the GDR (East G. 1949-90), Saarland (1945-59), the German Empire/Deutsches Reich (1871-1949), and the earlier states, I collect to some extent. I find it strange to specifically collect nazi coins, but it would also be odd for me to leave the nazi years out.

Christian

 

I didn't miss your point. Quite the opposite. I'm well aware of what you were saying and the existence of those still trying to use that symbol for their twisted discriminator and hurtful beliefs. I was however expanding the issue with including PMs into the topic. It's a very delicate discussion but it's a fact of life we cannot avoid. I too would not personally own nor collect objects with such symbols on them but I can understand the cultural evidence, history side of why some would possess these in their collection. Yet perhaps bearing those symbols they are better kept in an objective place such as a museum for research and consideration.

 

Thank you very much for sharing your story HOBBY61. And it should be addressed to everyone to think about. This personal story illustrates the topic of this forum better than anything else. I fully understand and admire the time you took to share this.

 

Quite true! Also all should understand that this symbol is still widely and in uninterrupted use today throughout Asia as it always has appeared in/on Buddhist and Shinto temples and shrines. It is used as a symbol on maps to indicate the location of temples and shrines. Search Google maps (link to Ise Jingu shrine in Japan) and you will find them even there.

Here's a short background if anyone is curious to know more about Buddhist use: The Swastika and Buddhism

 

Absolutely! well said.

 

Thank you for a voice of reason amongst unreasonable thinking De Orc.

 

Nazi coins, and especially coins with the swastika as part of the design, are the most beautiful of all german coins (post 1871). I will never stop collecting them. And yes, I´m one of those Hitler described as an untermensch. Do I care what Hitler and the nazis would have thought about me? Neh.

 

Goldstone,

While I understand your feelings on the subject, I think they are a little misguided. The swastika has been a symbol for thousands of years and long pre-dates Hitler and Nazi Germany. Not only was it a symbol of good luck that was often paired with the American flag, soldiers of the 45th infantry in WWI actually wore a swastika patch. Please read the following link about the swastika.

http://rexcurry.net/45th-infantry-division-swastika-sooner-soldiers.html

To reject coins that bear a swastika is to let Hitler win. We can't ignore history. We would all be better off by trying understand why Hitler and Germany followed the path they did in order to prevent it from ever happening again. And trust me, mankind has been committing horrible atrocities against their fellow man since the beginning. It will happen again. It is not a matter of if, but when.

With regards to the neo-nazis, well I wouldn't worry about them. They are a bunch of two bit thugs that believe in ethnic superiority and are only smart enough to understand that the Nazi flag and swastika stirs up feelings of fear and hatred. I would be very surpised if any of them have any clue about WWII history including Adoph Hitler and his beliefs. And if any of them have ever read "Mein Kampf", I would be absolutely amazed.

According to Bill Maher on HBO, 24% of the American public does not know which country we fought against to gain our independence in the Revolutionary War. That stat is to show how uneducated we are as a society. If the coins or WWII can help educate any of our youth about World History during that time including the horrors of the holocaust, it is a blessing and not something that should be shunned.

 

Well Napoleon was a bad actor in his day. Yet today his coins get a big premium. The swastika is an ancient symbol of good luck. Here is a coin from 650 AD with one on it. 50 years from now when everyone who fought or suffered under the third Reich has gone to heaven. You can count on this stuff selling for a premium. Sad but true. The only Nazi era coin I have is the President Von Hindenburg funeral coin. He was not a fascist but Hitler had a swastika put on his death coin. Anyway, I understand the feelings surrounding this issue. Only the early coins had a good quality silver the rest are garbage. Traci :headbang: