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10 pfennige
10 Pfennig coin Deutsches Reich 1917
Coin from 1917
General information
Country

Flag of the German Empire German Empire
Flag of Germany (3-2 aspect ratio) Weimar Republic

Value
  • 0.10 gold mark (1873-1914)
  • 0.10 Papiermark (1914-1922)
Years

1873-1922

Measurements and composition
Mass
Click to
  • 4 g (1873-1916)[1][2]
  • 3.6 g (1916-1922 ZnFe)[3]
  • 3.1 g (1917 Zn)[4]
  • 3.23 g (1917-1922 Zn)[5]
Diameter

21 mm[6]

Composition
Click to
Appearance
Shape

round

Alignment
  • medallic (1873-1889, 1916-1922)
  • coin (1890-1916)
Obverse

Reichsadler[6]

Reverse

State title, value, year[6]

v · d · e

The 10 pfennig coin was first issued by the German Empire in 1873, holding a value equal to 0.10 gold mark. In 1914, the gold mark became replaced by the Papiermark, and a similar coin of the same denomination began circulating. The Weimar Republic was established in 1918, following the defeat of the Second Reich at the end of World War I, and continued issuing the coin until 1922.[7]

History[]

10 pfennige German Empire 1875

Coin from 1875.

The first 10 pfennig coin issued in unified Germany was introduced in 1873[7], during the reign of Kaiser William I.[8] This initial issue was composed of cupronickel, weighed 4 grams, and measured 21 millimeters in diameter. The Reichsadler of the Second Reich was featured on the obverse. Displayed on the reverse was the coin's value, accompanied by the state title of the German Empire (DEUTSCHES REICH) and the year. These coins were issued from 1873 to 1876, and then again from 1888 to 1889, produced at mints in Berlin (A), Hannover (B), Frankfurt (C), Munich (D), Dresden (E), Muldenhütten (E), Stuttgart (F), Karlsruhe (G), Darmstadt (H), and Hamburg (J).[9] At least 272,305,506 examples were minted between 1873 and 1889, with an unrecorded number being struck in proof quality.[1]

Deutsches Reich 10 pfennige 1901

Coin from 1901.

Production of the 10 pfennig coin recommenced in 1890, and between that year and 1889, no alterations were made to the coins, excluding changes to the design of the Reichsadler on the reverse. From 1873 to 1889, the heraldic eagle itself was rather small and bore a large shield on its breast. However, in 1890, the eagle on the coins became larger while the shield on its breast became smaller.[9] The second issue was minted from 1890 to 1894, and then again from 1896 to 1916, produced at each of the mints listed above excluding those in Hannover, Frankfurt, Dresden, and Darmstadt. At least 479,467,250 examples were minted, with more than 250 being struck in proof quality.[2]

In 1916, a new issue of the 10 pfennig coin made its debut. Unlike the previous issues, it was composed of zinc-plated iron and weighed 3.6 grams, but managed to retain the 21 millimeter diameter of the previous coins. It was virtually identical to the issues that came before it, excluding the beaded border surrounding the Reichsadler on the reverse. The third issue coins were produced from 1916 to 1918, and then again from 1921 to 1922, with a total mintage of at least 244,698,000, excluding proofs.[3]

Deutsches-10Pfennig-Zn-1921

A zinc coin from 1921.

Two similar zinc issues were introduced a year following the debut of the third coin issue.[7] Both coins were identical to each other, except that the Reichsadler on one issue was surrounded by a beaded border.[4] The "non-beaded" coin weighed 3.23 grams[5] while its "beaded" counterpart weighed about 3.1.[4] The latter of the two coins was only minted in 1917, as compared to the former, which was issued until 1922.[7] The "non-beaded" coin had a total mintage of 1,241,733,154, which included 154 proofs.[4]

Patterns[]

A number of pattern 10 pfennig coins were produced. Many of which were designed from 1873 to 1876, though examples were also made in 1893, 1909, 1915, 1917, 1922, 1924, and 1925. Ten pfennig pattern coins are known to have been struck in aluminum, brass, copper, cupronickel, gold, iron, nickel, and zinc.[7]

See also[]

  • East German 10 pfennig coin
  • German 10 pfennig coin (1949-2001)
  • German 10 Rentenpfennig coin
  • German 10 Reichspfennig coin

References[]

 v · d · e
German gold mark
Banknotes 5 ℳ10 ℳ20 ℳ50 ℳ100 ℳ1000 ℳ
Coins 1 ₰2 ₰5 ₰10 ₰20 ₰25 ₰50 ₰½ ℳ1 ℳ2 ℳ3 ℳ5 ℳ10 ℳ20 ℳ
Miscellaneous Bavarian MintBerlin State MintCoinage Act of 1873Darmstadt MintDresden MintFrankfurt MintHamburg MintHannover MintKarlsruhe State MintMuldenhütten MintReichsbankReichskassenscheinStuttgart State Mint
 
State coin issues
2 mark Anhalt (Anhalt-Dessau) • BadenBavariaBremenHamburgHesseLippeLübeckMecklenburg-SchwerinMecklenburg-StrelitzOldenburgPrussiaReuss Elder Line (Reuss-Obergreiz) • Reuss Younger Line (Reuss-Schleiz) • Saxe-AltenburgSaxe-Coburg-GothaSaxe-MeiningenSaxe-Weimar-EisenachSaxony (Saxony-Albertine) • Schaumburg-LippeSchwarzburg-RudolstadtSchwarzburg-SondershausenWürttemberg
3 mark AnhaltBadenBavariaBrunswickHamburgHesseLippeLübeckMecklenburg-SchwerinMecklenburg-StrelitzPrussiaReuss Elder LineSaxe-MeiningenSaxe-Weimar-EisenachSaxonySchaumburg-LippeSchwarzburg-SondershausenWürttemberg
5 mark AnhaltBadenBavariaBremenBrunswickHamburgHesseLübeckMecklenburg-SchwerinOldenburgPrussiaSaxe-AltenburgSaxe-Coburg-GothaSaxe-MeiningenSaxe-Weimar-EisenachSaxonySchaumburg-LippeWaldeck-PyrmontWürttemberg
10 mark AnhaltBadenBavariaBremenHamburgHesseLübeckMecklenburg-SchwerinMecklenburg-StrelitzOldenburgPrussiaReuss Younger LineSaxe-Coburg-GothaSaxe-MeiningenSaxonySchwarzburg-RudolstadtWürttemberg
20 mark AnhaltBadenBavariaBremenBrunswickHamburgHesseMecklenburg-SchwerinMecklenburg-StrelitzPrussiaReuss Elder LineReuss Younger LineSaxe-AltenburgSaxe-Coburg-GothaSaxe-MeiningenSaxe-Weimar-EisenachSaxonySchaumburg-LippeSchwarzburg-SondershausenWaldeck-PyrmontWürttemberg
 v · d · e
German Papiermark
Banknotes ℳ1ℳ2ℳ5ℳ10ℳ20ℳ50ℳ100ℳ500ℳ1000ℳ5000ℳ10,000ℳ20,0000ℳ50,000ℳ100,000ℳ200,000ℳ500,000ℳ1,000,000ℳ2,000,000ℳ5,000,000ℳ10,000,000ℳ20,000,000ℳ50,000,000ℳ100,000,000ℳ500,000,000ℳ1,000,000,000ℳ5,000,000,000ℳ10,000,000,000ℳ20,000,000,000ℳ50,000,000,000ℳ100,000,000,000ℳ200,000,000,000ℳ500,000,000,000ℳ1,000,000,000,000ℳ5,000,000,000,000ℳ10,000,000,000,000ℳ20,000,000,000,000ℳ50,000,000,000,000ℳ100,000,000,000,000
Coins ₰1₰2₰5₰10₰50ℳ½ℳ1ℳ3ℳ200ℳ500
Miscellaneous Hyperinflation in the Weimar RepublicReichsbank
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