Germany coin thread (only the best)

the value of this coin has decreased over the last 10 years, you can find this coin in VZ for 300
and stgl. for 500. And as far as I know those coins were mostly not spent, but kept, because it was the first commem. of the Federal Republic of Germany. That's why many people,who lived those days, have one of these coins laying around in their basement.

 

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Maybe so. You are certainly right about that coin's value having decreased, but from what I know, that is primarily due to the "focus shift" when the euro cash came. The number of collectors may have an impact too. Still, it is not easy (and not all that cheap) to get in high grades ...

Tschüs,
Christian (aus dem Rheinland)

 

I got this from Goldmark.

 

gbroke, told you I will get one. Actually, got three form Goldmark. Still owe him big time!

 

That is a beautiful Mark! Goldmark did not steer your wrong.

 

just got this yesterday, neat little coin. i assume this is a notgeld type coin.

 

Chrsmat,

It is Notgeld,
Uberlingen
10 Pfennig,
Zinc

 

Where's my crown?

 

This is a coin which I do not have but find interesting. In 1917 Saxony issued a 3 mark coin that commemorated the 400th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation. Two problems though ...

First, having Martin Luther on the coin was a No-No. After all, he was not a royal, and thus not "suitable" in those years. Maybe that rule could have been changed - but such a change for Luther, while the country (this was during WW1) was supposed to be united and stand together, nah. So, who to pick instead?

The ultimate choice was Frederick the Wise who had defended and supported Luther but, being an elector and all, he was considered to be OK. The designer then used a portrait from a 1522 coin, see here, and added the first words of Ein feste Burg.

Originally a mintage of more than 300,000 was planned ... but again the war was in the way, so to say. So only 100 (right, one hundred) were minted, and issued in April 1918. The others were supposed to come after the end of the war.

Except that the end of WW1, and the revolution in 1918, also meant the end of the monarchy in the Deutsches Reich. No more Saxon (or other) kings, no more "Friedrich der Weise" coins. Attached is an image from a museum in Berlin; somewhat larger photos are here:

(obv) http://www.smb.museum/mk_edit/images/475/vs_opt.jpg
(rev) http://www.smb.museum/mk_edit/images/475/rs_opt.jpg

Christian

 

In all my PhotoScape pics I have been adding a picture or symbol. In this case I used the coat of arms for Idar-Oberstein (the towns were united in 1933), but I’m not positive that the symbol was in use for Oberstein during 1919. The coin features a stunning mountain scene with what I believe is either the church or part of the castle. Perhaps someone with better knowledge than I can answer these questions.

 

A very good German.

 

The city's website comes to your rescue. Here is some info about the current CoA, and the two older ones (Idar and Oberstein): http://www.idar-oberstein.de/stadtinfo/stadtinfo/stadtwappen/ The page is in German, but the first CoA is the one that Oberstein used until 1933:



Cannot really translate the description well, due to all those heraldic terms, but on the left (from the viewer's perspective) you have a double hook (cramp/wall iron?), in the middle there is an acorn (oak fruit?) in red, and below a tree; on the right there is a ring. These elements are red, except for the tree which is green.

And the building in the rock is the church (note that it says "Felsenkirche" at the bottom). See here ...

Christian

 

Thanks again Christian!

 

I liked and like that portrait better than the one that the GDR used on the same occasion. Embedded image, not mine:


http://www.muenzen.eu/tl_files/bilder/ddr/10-mark-schweitzer-1975.jpg

As for Schweitzer's citizenship, the place where he was born (Kaysersberg, in Alsace) was part of Germany when he was born, and became part of France again in 1918. Schweitzer was legally a German when he was born, and became French (easy as his parents were French) towards the end of or shortly after WW1. Guess it is safe to say he was Alsatian.

Christian

 

Corrected:

 

wow what an awesome collection. I especially like the Hambur coin awesome lions.

 

Thanks spirityoda!

 

Got this one today. Might belong in the silly coins, but I liked it as soon as I saw it.

 

Please note that the depicted creature is not Grimmelshausen but a scene from his most famous book. A few years before he died, he wrote Simplicissimus; the edge inscription* Der Abentheurliche Simplicissimus also refers to that.

* Every silver coin (plus quite a few other pieces) from the Federal Republic of Germany has an edge inscription, and with commemorative and collector coins that usually refers to the occasion or person honored by the coin. In the case of the Albert Schweitzer coin, for example, it says Ehrfurcht vor dem Leben (Reverence for Life) which may be considered Schweitzer's motto ...

Christian

 

I too remember this coin from Ebay. from doing a rainbow toned world coin search. gorgeous color but way to much. agreed.