Germany 1908-G 5 pfennig
This specimen was lot 71570 in Stack's Bowers Collectors Choice sale (Santa Ana, CA, October 2020), where it sold for $172.80. The catalog description[1] noted, "GERMANY. Empire. 5 Pfennig, 1908-G. Karlsruhe Mint. PCGS PROOF-65 Cameo Gold Shield. Tied with just one other specimen as the only in the PCGS census, this shimmering proof issue exhibits vibrant surfaces and a subtle frosting to the devices." This coin is from a type issued 1890-1915 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.
Recorded mintage: 3,357,000, a somewhat common date.
Specifications: 2.5 g, copper-nickel, 18 mm diameter.
Catalog reference: KM-11; J-12.
- 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.
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