1938 Nazi German 50 RM coin

[dhogge065-migration]

I bought this coin on ebay. it is about the size of a silver dollar and the seller said it consists of 1-oz silver. It looks identical in design to the Hindenburg 5 RM coin. I see a lot of discussion of the 2 RM and 5 RM coins, but I see no discussion of the 50 RM coin. Does anyone know anything about this coin?

[Schubi]

There were simply no 50 RM coins minted during the Third Reich (1933-45).

Can you upload a picture of the coin?

[JKK]

Yeah, I'd like to see a picture as well. I went looking in Krause just out of curiosity, and Jens is correct.

[dhogge065-migration]

Jena and JKK, thanks for your reply.

 

I am inclined to concur with you and believe the coin is not genuine. perhaps it was made as a neo-nazi commemorative medal. I also suspect it might be aluminum rather than silver, but it is a beautiful coin. I am new to this forum and I am not sure how to upload a jpeg, but the ebay page is still available at

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/121525440645?_trksid=p2060778.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 

and I put the images on my personal web site at http://hdhdata.org/nazi-coin/

 

 

 

 

[dhogge065-migration]

Jens, sorry for typoing your name. thanks again for help

[JKK]

There was a 1938-J 5 RM that looks just like it except for the denomination, right down to the font for the denomination. Either it's a very rare pattern coin not listed in my Krause, which seems doubtful, or someone decided to counterfeit based on a 5 RM coin. The coin in Krause, KM #94, weighs 13.88g, is 90% Ag and is 29mm wide.

[dhogge065-migration]

yes, the coin looks exactly like the 5 RM coin, except for the denomination. I don't have a scale with the appropriate sensitivity, but according to the seller, the weight, including the plastic capsule, is 33 gm. The physical size is about the same as every other 1-oz silver coin. I measure the diameter to be 39.6 mm. do you have any suggestions as to what I might do to check it out? does it make sense to submit it for grading? I guess I could take it to Las Vegas and see what Rick says.

[Schubi]

Don't worry about the typo.

 

From the photos this doesn't look like a modified real coin to me.

JKK is right about the font but imho the head is all wrong.

 

Here's an original 5 RM coin:

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Munze-5-Reichsmark-1938-A-Silber-/151566307869?pt=M%C3%BCnzen_Medaillen&hash=item234a0e521d

 

The pictures you posted look more like a different version of those:

 

http://www.ebay.de/itm/5-Reichsmark-1936-Medaille-Hindenburg-40mm-1-oz-PP-Silber-Plated-/261754551322?pt=M%C3%BCnzen_Medaillen&hash=item3cf1c97c1a

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/GERMANY-PAUL-VON-HINDENBURG-1938-1-OZ-GOLD-PLATED-BRASS-ROUND-CASE-M70-/191392670510?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c8fe4632e

 

Seems to me dhogge065 is right, what we have here is a modern (neo)-nazi commemorative medal.

 

[JKK]

Jens, I was thinking more of a modern counterfeit. Although the problem with that theory is evident: why counterfeit that to such a skilled degree, when there are a lot of other issues that would probably be more renumerative to counterfeit? It's the old question as to why no one counterfeits US$1 bills or US dimes (unless very rare).

[Schubi]

True, it would make a lot more sense to counterfeit a 5 RM Goethe commemorative coin from the Weimar Republic for example.

What convinced me personally from the start that it can't be a a modern counterfeit is the fact that the real coin just doesn't exist.

Anybody who doesn't know his german coins would not just blindly pay much money for such a coin and everybody who does would know there's something wrong.

[JKK]

One day I was at my coin dealer, and we were talking about fakes. I asked if they got a lot of them. The dealer went in the back, came out with a loose coin, and handed it to me.

 

It was a 1943 Morgan dollar coin.

 

(US collectors will do as I did and just laugh, since the last Morgan dollars were minted in 1921.)

 

Not that this is analogous, just that I've seen and held physical evidence that people will fake such things. But I think you're right: it's more reasonable to think it's a contemporary fake.

[LSD25]

Found this site informative...  Neat thing is,  I have the very same coin.  I bought it at a local auction.  In Ontario Canada.  Kind of makes me wonder,  how many of these would be out there?  Never the less, I think it is a really cool conversation piece.