1943 Lodz Getto Coin

Russellhome

I stumbled accross this listing on eBay the other day and decided to watch it and see what it went for.

Ebay Auction Link

First of all, I did not really consider a coin that the Nazi's created for a Getto/prison a real coin and did not think it something that NGC would grade. But it did get slabbed and I can't believe what it sold for.

My interest in this auction is that I have one of those Getto coins. I obtained it in trade for something when I was into militaria 25+ years ago. I never thought of it has having a 'value' other than for that it physically represents one of darkest moments in world history. Then I see this one sell for more than a thousand dollars! Here is the one I have...





I can think of a lot of other things I could do with a grand (assuming this one would sell for what the other one did). But the idea of selling such items bothers me. I've got some thinking to do. The first thing I'm going to do is get this one graded and authenticated as genuine, then I'll decide what to do with it after that.

TwoKopeiki

You double-posted the obverse, i believe.

Also, i don't see a moral issue with selling it unless this item belongs (or belonged) to a member of the family.

But that's just me.

1jester

There is a difference in rarity and price between the magnesium and aluminum versions. I do encourage you to get yours slabbed, however.

Russellhome

Fixed it -- thanks.

I've seen Getto script, concentration camp letters, etc. selling on eBay all the time. I figure it is everybody's right to do what they want. But I know there are those who frown upon selling such items. I know the coin creaps me out a little bit -- just the thought of what it represents is chilling.

Russellhome

<< <i>There is a difference in rarity and price between the magnesium and aluminum versions. I do encourage you to get yours slabbed, however.

>>



I've heard that. It looks like aluminum to me, but then I don't know what magnesium looks like. I will have it graded -- likely by NGC since they obviously have graded at least one of these before.

secondrepublic

You should really get yours slabbed. There are tons of fakes out there -- in fact most of the 20 Mark coins in existence are fakes. The smaller denominations are more common, generally much less expensive, and more likely to be genuine.

To me personally, I am disturbed by these coins (what they represent and what they were created for), and I would never collect them no matter what price they sold for. They belong in a museum and are not something I would want show off as part of my collection. But to each his own, I guess.

Russellhome

<< <i>You should really get yours slabbed. There are tons of fakes out there -- in fact most of the 20 Mark coins in existence are fakes. The smaller denominations are more common, generally much less expensive, and more likely to be genuine.

To me personally, I am disturbed by these coins (what they represent and what they were created for), and I would never collect them no matter what price they sold for. They belong in a museum and are not something I would want show off as part of my collection. But to each his own, I guess. >>



I've heard there are fakes. And this one could be, but I don't think so. I became buddies with a German foreign exchange student back in High School and went to visit him in 1982. His parents had lived in East Germany and escaped to West Berlin just before 'the Wall' went up. My friends father had aquired this while still in East Germany (late 50's or so). He actually had 2 coins -- this 20 mark coin and an 10 Mark coin. He told me that some road construction worker had found them and traded them to him in a local pub for buying his beer. The 10 Mark coin was badly gouged - like from a shovel, so the story seemed plausable to me. But who knows, perhaps the 'construction worker' got all his beers paid for this way.

And I did offer this coin to the Holocaust museum in DC a year or so after it opened. They express no interest in it -- probably because of all the fakes out there.

secondrepublic

I'm not an expert in these coins, so it's impossible for me to tell whether this is a fake or not. Apparently fakes were made of this coin even shortly after the war, so the fact that it's old doesn't necessarily mean it's genuine. Your best bet is to send it to NGC and see what they think.

satootoko

A few years ago there was a complete set up for auction on either overstock or seizedproperty, and I inquired of both the Simon Weisenthal Museum in Los Angeles and the Holocaust Museum in DC whether they would be interested in a donation.

One of them responded that they already had examples, and the other one didn't respond at all, so I passed.

I am in total agreement with secondrepublic's comment that

<< <i>They belong in a museum and are not something I would want show off as part of my collection. >>