Hey folks, I’ve been buying a select few notgelds, primarily because my father spent time in Germany during WW II, my mother’s family came from Germany, and I find the whole idea of notgeld “coins” and notes fascinating history. My concern is this. Many of the porcelain examples seem pristine. What is the likelihood that what is offered on eBay is all authentic? Does anyone have advice for me? E.g., dealers who sell dependably genuine porcelain notgeld? Thanks, Steve
I would think that porcelain wouldn't wear as quickly as a coin would, and I would think that porcelain tokens probably didn't circulate too heavily. This is speculation on my part, however, given that I'm not terribly familiar with these pieces. Can you post pictures of what you have?
Notgeld didn't circulate for very long because some of it (depending on the timeframe) lost its/their value overnight. The glazed porcelain notgeld had a much tougher/harder surface than metal and always looked nearly pristine.
Porcelain coins didn't really "wear". A well circulated piece will just look dirty and might have chipped, but details will not be worn down.
When I started collecting porcelain notgeld about 15 years ago, I read a reference that said very few were intended for circulation. I remember something about only a few early ones were used at the Meissen factory. Sorry, but I can't provide the reference, so consider this info as anecdotal. Many of the notgeld porcelain were issued as sets, so I would strongly suspect that they were not intended for circulation
I have a few pieces in my collection, They show a slight circulation, I am really doubting that there would be any reason to fake them or reproduce them.
Thank you, everyone. In total your responses illuminate the issue adequately so that I’m not too concerned about authenticity. @physics-fan3.14, I will post a link to an offer on eBay, as the couple of examples I have are...well, let’s just say they will show up when I’m looking for something else and I’ll go, “Oh, that’s where I put them!”
OOOOOH. It's Ultra Rare. Sorry...I hate it when eBay sellers use the R word. You rarely see any of these that show signs of circulation.
