Posted 9 years ago
SpiritBear
(813 items)
I got it for a quarter and think it's "City of Trier?"
I'm not exactly sure what "Kleingeldersatzmarke" is, but Google Translate said "Small funds/change."
Google says only 400,000 were minted, and it's an ''emergency'' coin minted after World War 1. That is "corroborated" by the following story on my getting it:
I go to the coin shop, and soon ask if they have any tokens. Pointed to bus tokens, I clarify that I'm looking for store tokens and those from bars. They hadn't gotten any in since my last search, so I asked to see the big box of mixed coins, and I began digging through that.
This is the first coin I pull out as a possible keeper:
"Hey, it looks like I found a German token," I said.
One of the men comes up, looks at it, and says, "That's not German. And that looks like Jesus on it."
So I say, "I didn't look at it much yet. But I think it's German and not Jesus."
"I don't think it's German because of how he's standing and they don't have people like that."
"I could try to stand like Jesus too, although I might fail."
"Let me see that," says another man.
So the first man walks it to the second, myself watching them.
"Yeah, that's German," the second man says.
"Are you sure? I don't think it is."
And he goes to Google it.
"Say," the first man continues, "Where is our World token book? I think I've seen this one before."
And apparently the second man says they never had one, the first countering his argument.
And the head honcho comes up, looking at it, also thinking it a token.
But the second man comes to find out it's a coin, with 400,000 minted (not many, really.)
But then they cannot be sure on their source as it told them little, and they continued their friendly debate-- all the while I had been searching for more coins and was ready for the next box.
So they grab me a box, tell me this coin may be rare, and toss it back to me.
Can anyone tell me the facts on it? How many were minted, what years, commonality, etc.?
Another site said it's scarcity was 74 on a scale of 0 (common) to 100 (rare.)
That is St. Peter holding the key to the kingdom of heaven in his right hand, and a book in his left.
Safe to say, St. Peter is holding the Bible. I think this coin is meant to be with you Spiritbear. Nice find pal :)
I thought it was a key in one hand and a halo on his head (easier to see in person.)
How do we know it's Peter, though?
It's not a piece that catches the eye when walking by, but it's one of my favorite coins-- and I have a lot of coins. LOL
Thanks for the comments and info.
Jesus gave Peter the keys to heaven. I've seen this image before. I wouldn't doubt you see a halo on Peter. I tried to date your coin.....,,and no luck :(
True.
Similar pieces were made right after WW1. Germany often minted coins in zinc during this time, too.
Thanks for further info.
From Ralf Hartemink's International Civic Arms website:
Trier was already an important city in the Roman times and the seat of a bishop in the early Middle Ages. The patron saint of the city is St. Peter. (...) In the 14th century only St. Peter is used on the seals. All later seals show only St. Peter in different positions. The arms of the city, on the other hand, only showed a red cross on a white field, the arms of the State of Trier. To the arms two lions were added as supporters in 1337. Only in the last century the arms were replaced by the figure of St. Peter taken from the seals. The cross of the State of Trier are widely used, see also the arms of Rheinland-Pfalz.
T A
Thank you for that write-up on their Coat of Arms. I had looked it up and saw their Coat of Arms, but little info was provided on it.