New Guinea 1894-A 5 mark
This coin was minted in Berlin in 1894 for the German colony of New Guinea. This specimen was lot 1566 in a Stacks sale (New York, April 2010). A popular, classic, rare and expensive world crown. Gold ten and twenty mark pieces also exist, along with silver half mark, mark, two mark and five mark pieces. The German colony of New Guinea fell to the Australians in 1914 and was held by them until 1975, when the area became part of Papua New Guinea. Mineral wealth abounds but the climate and terrain are harsh and the country remains poor. It is unlikely that this gem specimen ever crossed the Pacific to New Guinea.
In German, plurals are formed in unpredictable ways. The plural of "mark" is also "mark."
Recorded mintage: 1,500.
Specification: 27.78 g, 0.900 fine silver, .803 troy oz ASW.
Catalog reference: KM 7.
- Jaeger, Kurt, Die Deutschen Münzen seit 1871, Basel: Münzen und Medaillen AG, 1982.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
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