German Coins - popular and rare

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German coins represent some of Europe and the world’s most popular collected coins. Germans are known as avid coin collectors and their coins boast a widely varied lineage.

For hundreds of years Germany didn’t have a monarch or government – different rulers headed the regions and states the country was divided into. Each of these produced their own coins, making a wide and varied range from this period available to collectors. Old German coins are found adorned with portraits of numerous princes, dukes and noblemen.

German coins through history

German coinage and currency have gone through a lot of historical change. For 500 years Germany’s sole coin was the pfennig, until the introduction of the groschen in 1266. The coin was so influential that the period between the 8th and 13th Centuries were referred to as the ‘Pfeenigzeit’ (time of the pfennig). In the 1520s a new coin, the thaler, was produced in its millions – the word ‘dollar’ originates from thaler. The contemporary deutsche mark wasn’t introduced to Germany until the birth of the modern German Empire in 1871.

German coins and currency through world war 1 and 2

During the First World War – and in a fit of creative inspiration – German townsfolk began making their own banknotes due to a shortage of official currency. Today these elaborately designed rare notes, complete with depictions of fairy stories, historical tales and satire, are in high demand from collectors worldwide.

Post-World War I Germany suffered one of the most notorious stints of inflation in recent modern history. Prices soared, German citizens carried their money in bags and cases, many setting fire to it as it became almost worthless. This major economic collapse was a major force behind the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich. Nazi Germany produced its own form of German currency – coins were cast with an eagle and swastika and referred to as reichsmarks and reichspfenning.

After the unification of East and West Germany in 1990 production of East German currency was ceased, and a united Germany adapted the currency of the West. East German coins are now extremely popular with numismatists. Germany produced an astounding 50 billion coins and 14.5 billion new notes upon the introduction of the Euro in January 2002. Germany issued the first gold commemorative Euro coins, €100 and €200, in 2002. One Euro has a value of around 1.95 German marks.

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© The Pink Fridge Online Magazine 2009 - Coin Collecting UK

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