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1/2 Mark - Wilhelm I Pattern
| Issuer | Germany (1871-1948) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1877 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1/2 Mark |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The denomination '1/2 MARK' inscribed in three lines at center within an oak wreath, the branches tied at the base with a ribbon bow. The date '1877' appears in the lower exergue below the wreath. The circular legend 'DEUTSCHES REICH' arcs along the upper periphery, with the entire design enclosed within a beaded border. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Pattern coinage in platinum was occasionally produced by German mints in the 1870s as presentation or trial pieces, typically struck at the request of collectors or mint officials rather than under any authorization to circulate. This particular piece corresponds to the standard silver half Mark type introduced following German monetary unification under the 1871 and 1873 currency laws that created the Reichsmark system — but struck in platinum at a weight that departs from the silver production spec, confirming its status as an intentional showpiece rather than a metal-substitution test.
The Berlin Mint held a near-monopoly on platinum experimental strikings of this period. Surviving platinum patterns from the imperial German series number in the single digits for most types.