Another of my common coins....

newbiecollector

.... but one I like a lot. To think of the era (1950) and what that country was going thru, the reverse sort of "speaks" to me.

RyGuy

I like it!

cladking

It's an underappreciated coin since it's not seen much in poundage.

I don't understand the low Unc price unless there are hoards out there.

farthing

I must admit that it is a new design for me - never seen one before. Definitely a neat coin!

1960NYGiants

Nickle-brass but looks like OSB, oriented strand board.

1jester

<< <i>It's an underappreciated coin since it's not seen much in poundage.

I don't understand the low Unc price unless there are hoards out there. >>



In many years of living in Germany, I never saw one of these in circulation. Cool coin.

cladking

<< <i>

In many years of living in Germany, I never saw one of these in circulation. Cool coin.

>>



That's interesting since most I've seen show wear. They're effectively
a one year type coin (the '49 is rare) and was replaced by an aluminum
coin in 1958. If they aren't seen then perhaps they were withdrawn and
melted by the East German government. This is a pretty common thing
for moderns.

1jester

Well, duhhhh....silly me. I just assumed there was a FRG mint in Berlin (A mintmark) and for some reason I'd never seen this version (instead of the nickel 50 pfennig pieces usually seen dated 1949, 1950 and later); that, and the fact this coin makes no mention of its East German provenance. Though I went to East Berlin many times, I never recall this particular coin in circulation; of course, I lived in West Germany.

newbiecollector

Thanks for the comments all. I thought I was the only one who had never seen this coin before.

Glad to see I am not all alone.

cladking

<< <i>Well, duhhhh....silly me. I just assumed there was a FRG mint in Berlin (A mintmark) and for some reason I'd never seen this version (instead of the nickel 50 pfennig pieces usually seen dated 1949, 1950 and later); that, and the fact this coin makes no mention of its East German provenance. Though I went to East Berlin many times, I never recall this particular coin in circulation; of course, I lived in West Germany.
>>



It does still suggest that these might have been destroyed. The fact that most
are VF or XF that are seen suggests they didn't co circulate with the aluminum
or they'd be more heavily worn.

My best example I think is a nice slider but I might have an unc around somewhere.

I hadn't noticed that Krause did finally raise the price of this a couple years back
and now shows it as a $70 coin in unc. Considering the same date 1950-E ten
pfennig aluminum issue is listed at $800 it might still be a little low. The aluminum
isn't that tough like the 50p but almost all are worn out and culls; they look like
they were in a war.

1jester

I've seen my share of circulated aluminum coins from behind the Iron Curtain, and it's not a pretty sight. They get wasted, utterly destroyed, fairly quickly.

newbiecollector

Any comments on what I should consider the grade of my example?

Rickc300

I start my main German collection at the beginning of the Empire and stop at the end of WWII (though I have some state coins dating to the mid 1500's and some more modern comemeratives in silver). I do not have very much experience with the coins from both sides of the wall, but I have seen a few while going thru some dealer’s boxes of German coins while looking for the stuff in my main collecting interests... Based on your pics, (and I am harsh in my grading according to other collectors). That coin, in my opinion, has some detail but the contact marks and the obvious wear makes it a VF at best IMHO and if I collected them, I would not pay more than Fine just because it doesn't have the look I want even if it has the details to grade as VF (depending on who is looking/selling/buying) it. These seem to wear like iron, little wear but heavy on nicks and other detracting marks even though most details are still visible no matter how long they circulated...

It's a decent looking circulated coin and one to kick start a collection if you are interested in Europe and its history post WWII, and the beginning of the cold war.

Just my 2 cents worth,

Rick

cladking

VF.

It's XF by US standards but I expect at least some luster with world coins in XF and this especially applies to moderns.