| Slot: |
1 Pfennig (1873-1889), J.1, KM# 1 |
| Origin/Country: |
GERMANY - EMPIRE |
| Design Description: |
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| Item Description: |
95% Copper, 4% Zinc, 1% Tin 1P 1889A |
| Grade: |
PCGS MS 64 Red Brown |
| Research: |
View Coin |
Owner Comments
I bought this coin on a whim in an eBay auction with slightly lacking photos. I got it for a great price and was extremely surprised when I got to see it in person. It easily sidelined another MS64RB I had filling this hole. The pictures don't do service to how attractive the coloring is and how smooth the surfaces are. The coin is tilted in the holder, so I struggled to get the whole thing in focus.
(Full Disclosure: The photos are slightly doctored to minimize the visual impact of the slab scratches and scuffing.)
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| Slot: |
2 Pfennig (1874-1877) J. 2, KM# 2 |
| Origin/Country: |
GERMANY - EMPIRE |
| Design Description: |
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| Item Description: |
95% Copper, 4% Zinc, 1% Tin 2P 1875J |
| Grade: |
NGC MS 64 BN |
| Research: |
View Coin |
Owner Comments
This particular coin was purchased on eBay already slabbed for a very fair price. It was a fire-and-forget bid that held up. The 2 pfennig denomination seems to be a little bit less collectible than the silver coins. Below the silver and 1 pfennig, but still more desirable than the 5 and 10 pfennigs. The coin has that nice blue green color in the luster that I like to see on mint state brown coppers. This replaced a fairly ho-hum MS63RB I had filling the slot before.
The early 2 pfennig coins were minted in large amounts, fairly quickly but then did not see much use. They are easier to find in high grades when compared to their 1 pfennig counterparts. With such an excess of 2 pfennig coins, they stopped production in 1877 and didn’t start it up again until 1904. This coin was not officially retired until 1942, resulting in nearly 70 years of potential circulation.
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| Slot: |
5 Pfennig (1874-1889) J. 3, KM# 3 |
| Origin/Country: |
GERMANY - EMPIRE |
| Design Description: |
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| Item Description: |
75% Copper, 25% Nickel 5P 1889A |
| Grade: |
PCGS MS 64 |
| Research: |
View Coin |
Owner Comments
This particular coin has pretty good coloring for an early CuNi coin, but the luster is lacking compared to what I'd like to find. Since I can never find these coins locally, it's always questionable how the luster is going to come out from only looking at auction or dealer photos.
The 5 pfennig coin was produced in high volume in its first 3 years of issue. It was later produced in more moderate amounts in 1888 and 1889 before the type was retired. The coin was eventually retired at the end of the hyperinflation period in 1924. While the alloy is the same as the later large eagle 5 pfennigs, these tend to turn champagne colored and lose their luster a little more over time. These also tend to be harder to find in high grades when compared to their large eagle counterparts.
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| Slot: |
10 Pfennig (1873-1889) J.4, KM#4 |
| Origin/Country: |
GERMANY - EMPIRE |
| Design Description: |
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| Item Description: |
10P 1876A |
| Grade: |
NGC MS 64 |
| Research: |
View Coin |
Owner Comments
A decent coin for a not too exciting type. This coin old cost me about 25 dollars slabbed...these coins just aren't that popular. Financially, finding an upgrade is doable, but it's just not high on my list right now (not popular with me either). I'll definitely upgrade if a better one comes my way.
The 10 pfennig coin was produced in high volume in its first 3 years of issue. It was later produced in more moderate amounts in 1888 and 1889 before the type was retired. The coin was eventually retired at the end of the hyperinflation period in 1924. While the alloy is the same as the later large eagle 10 pfennigs, these tend to turn champagne colored and lose their luster a little more over time. These also tend to be harder to find in high grades when compared to their large eagle counterparts.
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| Slot: |
20 Pfennig (1873-1877) J.5, KM#5 |
| Origin/Country: |
GERMANY - EMPIRE |
| Design Description: |
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| Item Description: |
20P 1876G |
| Grade: |
PCGS MS 65 |
| Research: |
View Coin |
Owner Comments
I won this coin in an eBay auction from Ron Guth (germancoins.com). It has close to ideal reverse toning for me. I have two MS67 examples, but this one has earned the spot as my type piece. This is a coin I can be happy with for a very long time.
The 20 pfennig coins were the smallest coin minted during the German Empire period, even smaller than the 1 pfennig coin. The coins were heavily used, and high grade examples are fairly rare. But since the coin is not heavily collected, MS examples are still relatively affordable. Because of their exceptionally small size, they had a mixed reception with the public. These coins were officially removed from circulation in 1902.
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| Slot: |
20 Pfennig (1887-1888) J. 6, KM #9.1 |
| Origin/Country: |
GERMANY - EMPIRE |
| Design Description: |
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| Item Description: |
20P 1887A |
| Grade: |
NGC MS 67 |
| Research: |
View Coin |
Owner Comments
Great strike. Untouched fields. The only thing imperfect about this coin is that it has lost some it's luster through toning. I believe none are graded higher for this type at NGC or PCGS. This is another one I won through an eBay auction. I had a decent MS63 of this date holding the slot previously. Of course this one takes the cake.
This coin was a redesign for the small silver 20 pfennig coin. It achieved a more appropriate place in the size hierarchy of German Empire minors, with it being larger than the 10 pfennig coin. The coin is uncommon in any grade, and mint state examples can be hard to find. The series is not widely collected and is more affordable than it would be otherwise. Because of the odd denomination and short life-span, a larger fraction of the original amount minted survived when compared to other German Empire coins.
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| Slot: |
50 Pfennig (1875-1877) J. 7, KM# 6 |
| Origin/Country: |
GERMANY - EMPIRE |
| Design Description: |
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| Item Description: |
50P 1876A |
| Grade: |
PCGS MS 66 |
| Research: |
View Coin |
Owner Comments
I won this coin at auction in early 2014, and it rightly didn't come cheap This one has fantastic toning with great luster. It is very similar to my small eagle 20 pfennig I have in the set. This one will likely never be unseated from its place in the set.
Similar to the rest of the coins of the German Empire period, this coin type saw extensive circulation and MS examples are rare. This coin most likely had a limited lifespan due to the fact that its size and design was too similar to the 10 pfennigs.
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| Slot: |
50 Pfennig, (1877-1878) J.8, KM# 8 |
| Origin/Country: |
GERMANY - EMPIRE |
| Design Description: |
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| Item Description: |
50P 1877C WITH WREATHS |
| Grade: |
PCGS MS 65 |
| Research: |
View Coin |
Owner Comments
In a dramatic change to design, wreathes were added to both sides of the coin. With such a small mintage, the coin in all grades has good collectible value. The coins saw wide circulation, so MS examples of the type make it one of the most valuable types of the German Empire minors.
This is a tough coin to find. I looked for about a year at auction for a mint state example, and didn't see one, much less buy one. I eventually found one with a reputable dealer and bought it at a premium. I proceeded to see several others come up for sale in the following months for lower prices. Just my luck. However, I don't feel bad about having this one in my collection. Even though the large eagle 50 pfennig coin has slightly lower prices in mint state, over time I've found this type to be the easier of the two to find.
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| Slot: |
1 Mark (1873-1887) J. 9, KM# 7 |
| Origin/Country: |
GERMANY - EMPIRE |
| Design Description: |
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| Item Description: |
MARK 1876C |
| Grade: |
PCGS MS 64 |
| Research: |
View Coin |
Owner Comments
Great coin. Good luster with a nice, mature light toning. It has a pretty good die crack on the reverse. I have a raw coin of about the same grade but with better eye appeal I will submit for grading one of these days. Until then, this will act as my type piece. There are always a handful of nicer examples on the market. It's just a matter of when I'd want to shell out the cash. This set probably won't be complete until I get a nicer one.
This coin was the basis, in name, for the German Empire coinage. It was widely circulated and is now widely collected. Low grade examples are plentiful, but MS examples can be exceptionally rare.
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| Slot: |
1 Pfennig (1890-1916) J. 10, KM# 10 |
| Origin/Country: |
GERMANY - EMPIRE |
| Design Description: |
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| Item Description: |
1P 1914F |
| Grade: |
PCGS MS 64 Red Brown |
| Research: |
View Coin |
Owner Comments
I love this coin. It's RB, but it's about as red as it can get without being red. I won't be upgrading this for a while. Lots of marks on the plastic. I bought it on a whim slabbed for less than 20 bucks a few years ago and it still holds up.
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| Slot: |
2 Pfennig (1904-1916) J. 11, KM# 16 |
| Origin/Country: |
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| Design Description: |
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| Item Description: |
2P 1911E GERMANY |
| Grade: |
NGC PF 64 RB |
| Research: |
View Coin |
Owner Comments
I'm using this proof as a placeholder for this spot in my type-set. I have several raw 2 pfennig coins that are suitable for grading, but I haven't gotten around to submitting any yet. This slot is one of the next ones targeted for an update.
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| Slot: |
5 Pfennig (1890-1915) J. 12, KM# 11 |
| Origin/Country: |
GERMANY - EMPIRE |
| Design Description: |
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| Item Description: |
5P 1906A |
| Grade: |
PCGS MS 65 |
| Research: |
View Coin |
Owner Comments
Great coin. The photos don't do it justice, partly because of the marks on the plastic. This is a nice neutral gray that looks much nicer than the yellowish color that the early CuNi issues have.
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| Slot: |
10 Pfennig (1890-1916) J. 13, KM# 12 |
| Origin/Country: |
GERMANY - EMPIRE |
| Design Description: |
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| Item Description: |
10P 1893A |
| Grade: |
NGC MS 63 |
| Research: |
View Coin |
Owner Comments
The reverse on this coin is just stunning. This was a self-submission that came back at MS-63, which is probably fair given the obverse condition. Die polish lines are always fun.
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| Slot: |
20 Pfenng (1890-1892) J.14, KM# 13 |
| Origin/Country: |
GERMANY - EMPIRE |
| Design Description: |
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| Item Description: |
20P 1892A |
| Grade: |
NGC MS 64 |
| Research: |
View Coin |
Owner Comments
Here is another coin that I am happy with. It has nice eye appeal. The smoothness of the fields gives it the slightest cameo effect that you can see in the photos. The only noticeable defect is the spot on the bottom of the reverse. Otherwise, it's a great coin.
This is another type that turned out to be much harder to find graded in MS than its mintages and price guide values would suggest. I would say I only see a couple of these pop up per year.
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| Slot: |
25 Pfennig (1909-1912) J. 18, KM# 18 |
| Origin/Country: |
GERMANY - EMPIRE |
| Design Description: |
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| Item Description: |
25P 1911G |
| Grade: |
NGC MS 64 |
| Research: |
View Coin |
Owner Comments
I'm kind of surprised this coin graded at 64. I plan on keeping my eye out for an upgrade for this type.
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