Estonia's first independent coinage came late. The republic declared independence in 1918, but monetary chaos — occupation currencies, collapsing exchange rates, and the ongoing War of Independence against Soviet forces — delayed a proper national coinage for years. The marka had already suffered severe inflation before this series was even struck. By 1924, the government was already planning the currency reform that would introduce the kroon in 1928, making this entire mark series short-lived almost by design.
KM#1a distinguishes this nickel-brass composition from the earlier nickel strikes of KM#1.
Estonia's first independent coinage came late. The republic declared independence in 1918, but monetary chaos — occupation currencies, collapsing exchange rates, and the ongoing War of Independence against Soviet forces — delayed a proper national coinage for years. The marka had already suffered severe inflation before this series was even struck. By 1924, the government was already planning the currency reform that would introduce the kroon in 1928, making this entire mark series short-lived almost by design.
KM#1a distinguishes this nickel-brass composition from the earlier nickel strikes of KM#1.