Catalog
10 Heller - Wilhelm II Trial Strike
| Issuer | German East Africa |
|---|---|
| Year | 1908 |
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| Composition | Copper-nickel |
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| Obverse description | Plain field centered on a circular hole, flanked by the date numerals '19' to the left and '08' to the right. Above the hole, a prominent Imperial German crown is depicted with flanking foliate scrollwork, all enclosed within a beaded inner border. The two-line legend 'DEUTSCH OST- / AFRIKA' arcs across the lower field in bold serif lettering, identifying the colonial issuer. The entire design is contained within a raised rim bordered by a continuous beaded dentilated ring. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Plain field centered on a circular hole surrounded by a raised collar ring, with the large numeral '10' positioned prominently above the hole in bold serif type. The denomination legend 'HELLER' is inscribed in large serif capitals across the lower field, flanking the hole on either side. The entire design is framed within a raised rim bordered by a continuous beaded dentilated ring, with no additional ornamental devices in the field. |
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| Additional information |
Trial strikes for the 1908 German East Africa coinage were produced in Mombasa under the administration of the Deutsch-Ostafrikanische Gesellschaft as Berlin debated the practicalities of a colonial subsidiary coinage. The copper-nickel composition tested here was ultimately rejected in favor of bronze for the circulating issue, a decision driven partly by concerns about durability in tropical humidity and partly by cost.
KM#Pn2 is among a handful of pattern pieces from this series known to have survived outside German institutional collections.