
These four silver coins serve as a memento of the horrors of
the
Third Reich.
The 2 Reichsmark was issued from 1936 to 1939. It pictures
Paul
von Hindenburg on one side and an eagle holding a wreathed swastika on
the other. It is 25mm in diameter. Nazi Germany used three
different designs on their regular
issue 5 Reichsmark coins. The first pictured the Potsdam
Military
Church on one side and an eagle and two small swastikas on the other.
It was struck only from 1934 to 1935. The second type was
struck
during only during the last part of 1935 and the first part of 1936. It
pictured Paul von Hindenburg on one side and an eagle on the
other. Starting in 1936 the Eagle reverse was replaced with
an
eagle holding a wreathed swastika, similar to the 2 Reichsmark. The
Eagle and Swastika 5 Reichsmark was struck from 1936 to 1939.
The
silver 5 Reichsmark coins are each 29mm in diameter.
Because of the war, no Nazi silver coins were struck after 1939. Coins
grade Very Fine.
We
recently came across an interesting hoard of original Uncirculated
bronze Nazi German 1 Reichspfennig coins. The obverse depicts
an
eagle
holding a swastika within a wreath. The reverse shows the
denomination. The coins are dated 1937 and bear the F mintmark of the
Stuttgart mint. The coins are over 70 years old,
yet still
retain
most of their original mint luster and show only a bit of
toning.
I suggest buying these now
while
they are available, as they may again be hard to find in this nice
condition once the hoard is disbursed. Because some coins are slightly
toned we are calling them AU-Uncirculated. 


These
military notes were used by the Nazi Germany to pay its troops during
World War
II. The uniface blue 1 Reichspfennig
note was issued in 1942. If spent at
military stores or in military channels it was worth ten times its face
value. The green 1 Reichsmark and red 10 Reichsmark
note were are dated 1944. They were used
to pay troops while in transit. When a
soldier arrived at his post the notes could be converted to the local
currency
or occupation notes. The notes were used only a short while before
Germany was
defeated. The back of the note includes
instructions on how to use the notes.
All three notes include an Eagle holding a swastika in the design and
the inscription "Deuteche Wehrmacht”. They are
interesting
and historic pieces of
military history.
Manchukuo
was a
Japanese puppet state carved out of Northeastern China prior to World
War II. Due to a severe metal shortage towards the end of the
war, these 1 and 5 Fen coins were struck in an unusual red resin-like
material rather than metal. The 5 Fen was struck
two years, 1944 and 1945. The 1945 catalogs for $60 in Very
Good
condition, however our price is MUCH less. The 1 Fen was only struck in
1945. These historic World War II coins are some of the few
circulating non-metallic coins of the century.

PHILIPPINE
PEOPLE POWER COIN
As
World War II
spread, French Indo-China (now Vietnam,
Cambodia and Laos) became increasingly
isolated and
people started to hoard coins, creating severe coin
shortages.
Because copper was needed for the war effort, the Paris mint replaced
the bronze 1 Cent with a zinc 1 cent in 1940. The new coin
featured a Phrygian cap. After France fell to the Germans in June 1940, the
French Indo-China
government re-struck the zinc 1 Centime at an engineering college
(Ecole Pratique) in Hanoi using the same design. The Hanoi
restrikes are dated 1940 and 1941. Because they did not have
proper minting or refining equipment,
the coins tend to be
weakly or crudely struck. The United States had not yet
entered
the war, so the San Francisco Mint was contracted to produce
copper-nickel 10 and 20 Centimes. The coins bear the S mintmark and are
dated 1941. The symbolic bust of France is on the front and a sheaf of
grain is on the back. All of the coins bear the legend
"Republique Francaise". Hanoi fell to the Japanese on December 7, 1941.
Production of the zinc 1 Centime stopped as it bore the legend of the
French Republic rather than the Axis supported Vichy government. The
Japanese soon
began
to withdraw and
melt the Annamese copper and
brass cash
coins, which had been in
circulation as they needed the copper for their war
effort. The cash coins were valued 1/5 to
1/6 of a
cent and were widely used for small transactions. To replace
them
the Osaka mint in Japan
began to strike a zinc
1/4 cent coin for French
Indo-China in 1942. The coins bore the Vichy Government legend of "Etat
Francais" rather than the French Republic legend. The
Japanese
war effort began to go badly and few shipments of the coins could be
made.
Coin
shortages got
worse, so in 1943 the local government in Hanoi authorized the Ecole
Pratique in Hanoi to strike aluminum 5 Centime
coins.
These
coins also bear the Vichy "Etat Francais"
legend.
These three
bronze coins were
struck at the Philadelphia mint in preperation for the liberation of
the Netherlands East Indies (now Indonesia) from the
Japanese.
The coins were struck in the United States under the authority of the
Dutch government in Exile as the Netherlands was still controlled by
Nazi Germany. The set includes the 1/2, 1 and 2 1/2
Cents.
One side of the 1/2 cent and 2 1/2 Cent coins features the crowned
Dutch arms, while the other has legends in Javanese and Malay. The 1
Cent coin has a center hole. Because Indonesia its gained independence
shortly after World War II, the coins never had the opportunity to
circulate. All three coins are Uncirculated.
Like many nations, British controlled
Palestine changed the alloy of their coins in World War II. Nickel was needed
for the war effort, so Palestine changed their 5 Mils coin from copper-nickel to
bronze. The bronze 5 Mil was struck only two years: 1942 and 1944. Following
the war the coin returned to its original alloy. The coin has a center hole,
with legends in English, Arabic and Hebrew and has both AD and AH dates.
UKRAINE
CELEBATES
LIBERATION FROM THE NAZIS
Ukraine
issued this
aluminum-bronze 2004 One Hryvnia coin to commemorate the 60th
anniversary of their liberation from Nazi German occupation by the
Soviet army. The reverse of the coin features a uniform lapel
with a group of Soviet military medals from the conflict. The
date and denomination is featured both on the edge and the obverse of
the coin.
WORLD WAR II REMEMBERED...A NUMISMATIC STUDY. by Schwan &
Boling An
excellent reference on the coins, paper money, bonds, medals, POW
issues, etc. used during World War II. Lots of information not provided
elsewhere. Provides a listing, history, valuations and
numerous
pictures. Includes Axis, Allied and Neutral nation
issues. Recomended for anyone interested in WWII
era coins
or paper money. Over 3800 illustrations. 864 pages, Hard
Cover.
NOTE: All pictures are of a typical item taken from stock. Because we have multiples of most items, the item you receive may not look exactly the same as the picture, however it will be as described.
Please add postage. California residents include 8.25% sales tax. 3-week return privileges.|
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