On 30 Jan 1933 Adolph Hitler was appointed Chancellor by President Paul von Hindenburg that ultimately led to the collapse of democracy and the rise of a dictatorial regime. What followed was a 12 reign of terror and destruction on a world-wide scale unmatched in human history as the great Democracies of the world, along with the Soviet Union, fought to destroy what was supposed to be a thousand year Reich. A Reich fueled by an economic engine remembered and recorded in its coinage struck during the period. As collectors we have an obligation to bear witness to the terrors of the period remembered in its coinage and Ive been looking for legitimate dealers in Nazi era coinage. Does anyone have the same interest and can they point me to some favorite sellers ? Ive found a few that look Legit but I also like recommendations from web sights I trust. Its my understanding that early Nazi Govt. mint coins used a fair amount of silver but this changed due to the needs of war production and that various coins, struck at various Berlin area mints, at various dates, have significant numismatic value. Thank you.
I do agree that history must be remembered and I believe that we do it best with our coins. Having said that I been dealing with coin merchants for a whole lot of years and never remember one that specialized in Nazi era coinage. I recall being stationed in Germany while in the Army around 1980 and locating a German coin dealer. I specifically wanted a Nazi era piece. He eyed me rather suspiciously and pulled a small box out from under his counter with a few pieces in it.... And I rather think that is the way that the era of coinage is still regarded in the hobby simply because the imagery conjures up some pretty intense feelings in many for obvious reasons.... I would bet most legitimate dealers likely have a few pieces "under the counter".... But I sure don't recall anyone specializing in them.
You have to remember that it is illegal to display a swastika in public in Germany, which is probably why coin dealers in Germany would be reluctant to display them... Ebay is probably the best place still to buy them, but in my opinion there were too many made and you really only ever see the common ones for sale. I own some other non coinage pieces that are far more valuable and rarer and way more historical than some Hindenburg 5 Marks coins. Third Reich era proof coins are rare and worth it if they are graded, as are certain types used for occupied areas and ghettos as well. A simple google search for those will yield some good information on those pieces. Also, I collect some pre Third Reich era Notgeld. Some of those pieces can be very interesting and very rare, including silk currency and ceramic coins. Overall, yes Nazis were bad. And history is important, but imagine the same outcry a Swastika gets, with current Renminbi depicting Mao Zedong, or a Ruble depicting a hammer and sickle.... Just remember, there will be plenty of people offended by anything, and yet those same people will collect Roman coinage depicting emperors like Nero. Lack of education regarding history is the main problem.
My interest is 1933 to 1939. Yes I know the German Laws. I think its illegal there to call each other names there too. I was stationed in Germany in the '70s where the remnants of the Third Reich still existed. I could name a thousand tyrants and autocracies thru history whose coins we either collect or know exist. The Romans were no charmers either. The Spanish, French, English, all were vicious slaver Empires as well that also obliterated entire tribes and peoples and/or stole their wealth. History has no shortage of Monsters. But the Nazi's co-opted the economy as much as the Politics or military. Hitler only stayed in power and stayed popular because he turned things around in the economy. Not that he was any great monetary or economic genius but the Nazi economists understood money very well. Much of early Nazi coinage used silver and had mint stamps like ours. I actually found a few places here in the states. A lot came back with our troops as mementos during the war and especially after when a vast American army presence was there as an occupation force. I'll be ordering some soon. Thanks for the responses.
Where were you? I was outside Heilbronn from 79-83 on a little mountaintop called Waldheide if I remember correctly. We worked on a Lutwaffe air strip... A bunch of interlocking steel perforated grids laid out on the hilltop. I didn't much think about it as a kid. I was only interested in getting off duty and finding the closest beer. Sort of gives me the willies now.
I inherited a 1936 5 mark coin. I won't post a picture because frankly I'm disgusted by it, don't know what to ultimately do with it, and there are people who would find this thread and get off on the symbols depicted. We can bear witness without collecting that garbage, I guess is my feeling about it.
Then get rid of it. Destroy it or throw it away. It's a common coin and it's not worth making you feel disgusted. Want to feel disgusted? Imagine those who fought for the German Wehrmacht in WWII who wouldn't consider themselves Nazis but still had to fight regardless. Imagine recieving an Iron Cross with a Swastika on it for an act of bravery in battle, and in 1957 having the option to get a denazified version just to wear on your Bundeswehr uniform and yet still be called a Nazi... The symbol didn't do the crimes. The coins had to be used regardless to buy basic needs. And not all who fought for Germany in WWII were Nazis. Oh and history fact of the day is this insignia patch: Nope, it can't be offensive because it isn't from the NSDAP. This is the insignia of the US 45th army infantry. Yup US soldiers once wore this insignia, and of course they had to change it to a thunderbird after 1939.
It's not the symbol, it's the context. I have no problems with posting this picture, for example, which I took in a temple in Thailand. I just don't understand the desire to collect the coins with it in the other context. I can see why the OP has problems finding dealers who promote specializing in it.
I hope you don't drive a Volkswagon, or a Honda or a Mitsubishi for that matter. I own some things that came from some Nazis... they were brought back by US soldiers as spoils of war. That "context" is being quickly forgotten and erased even in museums. The context should be considered as bad things happened by very bad people, yet there were those who aided in ending those terrible things. The only reason some of those objects exist is because some on the Allied side brought those items home. Once again it's only with Nazi stuff. I've never seen anyone mad about WWII Japanese swords, Italian Fasces, Soviet Stalin era artifacts, etc. The Mercury dime depicts a Fasces, Mussolini's symbol which Fascism is derived from. It is found all over the US. Hell, the Supreme Court building in Washington DC was built with Italian marble purchased in the 1930s from Mussolini. Stalin's Soviet Union is credited as being an Allied power but definitely had agreed prior to split Poland with Hitler's Germany. Stalin was just as bad as Hitler but the Hammer and Sickle doesn't cause any upset compared to the Swastika. I would ask for it to make sense but I don't have to, as history isn't written by the victor, it's just taught by the propagandist.
I was at Rhein-Main for a month long TDY, well a bit longer, back in '78 and then it was back to Incirlick. Speaking of the Ottoman Turks they marched over a million Armenians into the wastelands to die, or they shot them into ditches, between 1915 to 1917. They were still real beauts while I was there under Martial Law. Stalin marched many thousands of Polish Army officers, Police Officers, and Intelligentsia, and Jews, into the Katyn forest and murdered them in a series of massacres in 1939 after he partitioned Poland with Hitler and both invaded. He either sent entire populations into Siberian Hell holes from Ukraine or he outright starved them to death after WW2. During Mao Zedong's Great Leap Forward, 1958-1962, the CCP starved to death up to 55 million Chinese when they collectivized the farming system from personal ownership of farm land to entirely state owned and operated. Both Mao and Stalin saw the owners of private farm plots as enemies of the state so they stripped them of land rights, wealth, and often life. In 1493 Pope Alexander Vl issued a Papal Bull that split the entire world in two giving both Spain and Portugal 1/2 of the globe to enslave and exploit, rob them of their riches, often murder the locals, all as long as they spread the Catholic faith. The Priests thus marched arm in arm with the conquistadors as they ruthlessly stole the riches of most of the world and took control of the rich trade routes by force of arms. The Treaty of Tordesillas of 1494 further ratified the looting and enslavement of the non-Catholic world. Later the British Empire became the biggest slave traders in history. They dominated the Trans Atlantic slave trade up until they lost the North American continent and even when they ended the slave trade in the western hemisphere in what was left of their holdings in the Caribbean, which they only did because the market was glutted, they forced the slaves to remain slaves for a 3 year period and then reimbursed the slave owners and not a farthing went to the slaves. Whom even when supposedly free were forced to work at slave wages in the huge sugar plantations. In Asia the slave trade went on and the British East India company ravaged and exploited the riches of Asia, even fielding a private army twice the size of the Crown. And it became so huge and profitable it became a threat to the Crown and was only tolerated due to the riches it sent home to England. Anyway you get the picture I'm sure. If we only collected coins from those Politically correct we'd own pretty much nothing in the form of coinage. By collecting coinage of the Third Reich we are bearing witness to one of many atrocities thru history and we should be doing so without judgement despite the disgust we feel for the various regimes that struck them.
All of the Nazi coins I have came from a Jewish friend and my Black Santa Claus figurine collection came from a black gentleman. None of us had a problem with it and we all shared a few laughs, especially over the Santa's. I don't see a problem with collecting these type of things. History is history and the history we are currently creating in today's world isn't much better than the past. Humans haven't learned a damned thing if you ask me.
