Germany 1890-A 5 pfennig
This specimen was lot 44469 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Costa Mesa, CA, August 2021), where it sold for $156. The catalog description[1] noted, "GERMANY. 5 Pfennig, 1890-A. Berlin Mint. PCGS PROOF-65 Gold Shield. Tied for the finest certified by PCGS. A pleasing Gem Proof with reflective fields and frosty raised devices." This coin is a copper-nickel five pfennig from a type issued 1873-89 from the Berlin (mintmark "A", shown here), Hannover (mintmark "B"), Frankfurt (mintmark "C"), Munich (mintmark "D"), Dresden (mintmark "E"), Stuttgart (mintmark "F"), Karlsruhe (mintmark "G") 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 type was struck 1890-1915 but wartime shortages forced the regime to convert the coin to iron in 1915-22.
Recorded mintage: 4,548,000, a common date.
Specification: 2.50 g, copper-nickel, 18 mm diameter.
Catalog reference: KM-11; J-12.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- Jaeger, Kurt, Die Deutschen Münzen seit 1871, Basel: Münzen und Medaillen AG, 1982.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, The August 2021 ANA sale: World and Ancient Coins, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2021.
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