Germany 1908-G 1/2 mark
This specimen was lot 42407 in Stack's Bowers Summer 2026 Global Showcase Auction (Pittsburgh, September 2026), where it sold for $2,074. The catalog description[1] noted, "GERMANY. Empire. 1/2 Mark, 1908-G. Karlsruhe Mint. Wilhelm II. NGC PROOF-66 Ultra Cameo. EXTREMELY RARE and the only such instance as a proof in the NGC census, this staggering Gem radiates with exceptional luster and a captivating cameo nature. Jaeger does not even note this date as a proof, with the 1906-G issue having a reported mintage of 10-30 pieces." This coin is a silver half mark from a type issued 1905-1919 from the Berlin (mintmark "A"), Munich (mintmark "D"), Muldenhutten (mintmark "E"), Stuttgart (mintmark "F"), Karlsruhe (mintmark "G", shown here) and Hamburg (mintmark "J") mints. Under the German Empire of 1871-1918, the denominations of two mark and up were permitted for the formerly independent principalities while the lower denominations (one pfennig thru one mark) were minted to a unified design. The pre-war silver half marks are not rare tho the 1908-G is 14 times the price of the 1915-A.
Recorded mintage: 675,000 plus proofs.
Specification: 2.77 g, 0.900 fine silver, 20 mm diameter.
Catalog reference: KM-17; J-16 (unlisted in proof).
- Jaeger, Kurt, Die Deutschen Münzen seit 1871, Basel: Münzen und Medaillen AG, 1982.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, Summer 2026 Global Showcase Auction, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2026.
Link to:
- 1907-D ½ mark
- 1908-A pfennig
- 1908-G 5 pfennig
- 1908-G 10 pfennig
- 1908-D 25 pfennig, pattern struck in copper
- 1908-D ½ mark
- 1908-E ½ mark
- 1908-A mark
- 1908-D mark
- Baden 1908-G 5 mark
- Württemberg 1908 5 mark
- 1909-E ½ mark
- 1909-F ½ mark
- 1909-G ½ mark
- Coins and currency dated 1908
- return to coins of Germany, Empire (1871-1918)