Germany 1906-G 1/2 mark

from Stack's Bowers October 2020 Collector's Choice sale, lot 71561

This specimen was lot 71561 in Stack's Bowers Collectors Choice sale (Santa Ana, CA, October 2020), where it sold for $288. The catalog description^[1] noted, "GERMANY. Empire. 1/2 Mark, 1906-G. Karlsruhe Mint. NGC PROOF-66 Cameo. Immaculately preserved with vibrant orange, red and blue tone gracing intensely reflective surfaces on both sides." This coin is from a type issued 1905-19 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. This date is scarce compared to the issues of 1914-19 which were hoarded.

Recorded mintage: 4,273,000 + proofs, a better date.

Specifications: 2.77 g, 0.900 fine silver.

Catalog reference: KM-17.

Sources:

• Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
• Jaeger, Kurt, Die Deutschen Münzen seit 1871, Basel: Münzen und Medaillen AG, 1982.
• ^[1]Orsini, Matt, Richard Ponterio and Kyle Ponterio, The October 2020 Collector's Choice sale: World and Ancient Coins, Santa Ana, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2020.

Link to:

• 1905-D ½ mark
• 1905-F ½ mark
• 1906-A 5 pfennig
• 1906-E 10 pfennig
• 1906-E ½ mark
• 1906-F mark
• Baden 1906-G 5 mark
• Bavaria 1906-D 5 mark
• Bremen 1906-J 5 mark
• Bremen 1906-J 20 mark
• Hesse 1906-A 20 mark
• Lippe-Detmold 1906-A 2 mark
• Prussia 1906-A 20 mark
• Saxony 1906-E 10 mark
• 1908-D ½ mark
• Coins and currency dated 1906