The Problem with German Coins!

Discussion in 'World Coins' started by Goldstone, Aug 8, 2009.

  1. Preussen

    Preussen Member

    They're not evil, they're just coins; get over it already. -Preussen

    [​IMG]
     
  2. Avatar

    Guest User Guest



    to hide this ad.
  3. TheBigH

    TheBigH Senior Member

    :yawn: WOW! Is that your coin? Stunning!
     
  4. chrisild

    chrisild Coin Collector

    Sure, they are not evil by themselves. But why would people in the US (well, those who collect "Germany" at all) focus on nazi coinage so much if the pieces were just coins? Because they are apparently a little more than that ...

    Christian
     
  5. TheBigH

    TheBigH Senior Member

    I focus on Swiss coins. Does that mean I like cheese and chocolate? Well, I do, but that's not what I collect Swiss coins. I find Nazi coins extremely interesting, but I am certainly not a Nazi. I'm a libertarian, which is about as far from Nazi as you can get.
     
  6. Preussen

    Preussen Member

    Why does anyone anywhere collect any coin? We all have our own reasons; Because of my interest in military history, I collect many coins of military significance. Also, anyone who knows 3rd Reich coins at all will know that while they are available in junk boxes across the world, finding choice pieces is quite a challenge. -Preussen
     
  7. Preussen

    Preussen Member

    Yes it is mine, thanks. -Preussen
     
  8. Preussen

    Preussen Member

    They also minted some beautiful commemorative coins. -Preussen

    [​IMG]
     
  9. CamaroDMD

    CamaroDMD [Insert Clever Title] Supporter

    Not true, to me they are just coins and I collect WWII German era coins. The reason I do is I find the era quite fascinating. To me, I was able to bridge 2 of my interests, history of the second world war with coin collecting. To me they are just coins from an interesting time.

    Another reason I love these coins. They are a very challenging set to put together if you want nice examples.
     
  10. commandosniper

    commandosniper Junior Member

    I agree with Preussen,
    3rd reich coins of a certain year and mint-mark are very challenging to find. Condition is important, but getting both a rare coin in XF or UNC condition is a major challenge..
    Also like Preussen, I also collect coins from different Military history. I have many coins, medals, badges, fieldpost, letters & banknotes from Germany, UK, France, Italy, Russia all WWI & WWII, ...
    I also collect medals, coins banknotes & fieldpost from the Vietnam War Era....
    This does not make me a Neo Nazi or a hateful person... I'm just interested in military history...
     
  11. chrisild

    chrisild Coin Collector

    Don't think I have ever suggested that people who collect nazi coins are nazis. (Well, a few may be, but that is a small minority.) But of course I have been wondering why people in US forums often find nazi coins so much more interesting than pieces from the Weimar Republic, the GDR or the Federal Republic. Among the possible reasons there is the systematic genocide that Daniel mentioned, and also what I wrote in one of my previous posts here http://www.cointalk.com/showpost.php?p=759990&postcount=78 Both explanations sure are political to some extent - and that, not anybody's political views, is what I had in mind when I wrote that (for those who focus on them) nazi coins are not just coins.

    Christian
     
  12. Ripley

    Ripley Senior Member

    Well, Commandosniper....Here is my medal collection... Vietnam - Desert Storm. Traci
     

    Attached Files:

  13. CamaroDMD

    CamaroDMD [Insert Clever Title] Supporter

    I think we all collect the coins we like for various reasons. No coin is responsible for crimes committed by the country that produced them...and few (if any) countries are totally innocent of crimes. So, there is nothing wrong with collecting coins from this era if they are of interest to you. Plus, the designs are quite powerful and interesting in their own way:

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  14. princeofwaldo

    princeofwaldo Grateful To Be eX-I/T!

    I agree completely. The Spanish did not extract gold from the teeth of the Inca, but they might as well have. The numismatic legacy they left behind, --many of which are in world coin collections today, doesnt imply any kind of political or social agreement between the collector and issuing authority. History is what it is, trying to eradicate coins from evil empires would eliminate a large swath of world history. That said, I don't consider the Nazi era coins to be very interesting material, the designs are bland and uninspiring. The coins of Poland from that same period of time are vastly superior in my opinion, the art is great, the abscence of legends for the most part, --just plain world class issues. I concentrate on collection what I like rather than thinking too much about what I should avoid.
     
  15. ffrickey

    ffrickey Junior Member

    The king called and everybody came

    One of the principal interests of collecting world coins is that the vast majority of them were issued by now defunct governments or countries. I particularly like special items from short-lived governments. I have a few of the Nazi coins--as somebody said here--just because a world coin collection doesn't seem complete without them. And here's another (pre-Nazi) German coin I like for its historical value. It commemorates the 100th anniversary of Friedrich Wilhelm III's appeal "An Mein Volk" to his subjects for troops to fight Napoleon. Because of the date of issue, I call this coin "Welcome to WWI". Coins teach history, and we need to know especially about disastrous histories.
     

    Attached Files:

  16. boxerchip

    boxerchip Runnin' Buffalo

    I guess im a bad person, I happen to like those nazi coins. Regardless of what Hitler did I think 3500 years of history as a symbol of good luck and wealth overrules a 15 year period of some dude with mental problems being a douche.
    PS- the coin above is freaking beautiful- I must own one!
     
  17. princeofwaldo

    princeofwaldo Grateful To Be eX-I/T!

    Ditto here, love issues from short lived governments. Who can resist the coins of Katanga dated 1961?
     
  18. fretboard

    fretboard Defender of Old Coinage!

    Absolutely!! I love those powerful looking coins, surprised to see this thread back up but such is life. :D
     
  19. zantetsuken

    zantetsuken Junior Member

    Wow! That's a gorgeous proof coin 'Preussen'. Here are a few from my collection, although not as impressive as this. The first two are 50 Reichspfennig made of nickel. Nickel varieties are much rarer than the aluminum variety. They were also two year types, 1938 and 1939. The first is dated 1938 B minted in Vienna, the second is dated 1939 E minted in Muldenhutten. The second two are military issues that were used in occupied territories only. They were also two-year types 1940 and 1941, and came in two denominations 5 and 10 Reichspfennigs. The first is 5 Reichspfennig dated 1940 D minted in Munich, and the second is 10 Reichspfennig dated 1940 A minted in Berlin. Please note, I'm not trying to ruffle feathers, I'm just posting a couple of rare issues from this era.

    [​IMG]

    GERMANY (THIRD REICH)~50 Reichspfennig <Nickel Variety> 1938 B

    [​IMG]

    GERMANY (THIRD REICH)~50 Reichspfennig <Nickel Variety> 1939 E

    [​IMG]

    GERMANY (THIRD REICH)~5 Reichspfennig <Military> 1940 D

    [​IMG]

    GERMANY (THIRD REICH)~10 Reichspfennig <Military> 1940 A


    ~Daniel
     
  20. ffrickey

    ffrickey Junior Member

    If you like, I'll keep my eyes open for another. Got mine on ebay. I agree, it's an absolutely gorgeous coin--though not particularly expensive.
     
  21. thaivic

    thaivic Junior Member

    Being half German but born in England in 1952 I grew up with a fascination for WWII but I always had an irrational feeling of guilt for what some Germans did during that period. Then, about 18 years ago on a family holiday in Poland we had an opportunity to go to Auschwitz.
    That tour had a most profound effect on me. My children had never seen me cry and I'll admit to breaking down and sobbing uncontrolably on two occasions. I couldn't even talk about the trip for a lot of years (it's still emotionally upsetting for me even as I write).
    It made me much more aware of the frailty of human beings and made me a much more tolerant person. So let us never forget what happened.
    As for the coins of that era? Yes I have some in my collection but I just don't think of them as specifically Nazi coins. They are just coins from Germany from the 1930-40's.
    Vic
     
Draft saved Draft deleted

Share This Page