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| Issuer | State Mint of the German Democratic Republic (Staatliche Münze Berlin) |
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| Year | 1985 |
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| Composition | Silver (.500) |
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| Obverse description | Central field displays the coat of arms of the German Democratic Republic, featuring a hammer and compass within a wreath of rye. The national legend 'DEUTSCHE DEMOKRATISCHE REPUBLIK' encircles the arms along the periphery, with the date '1985' and denomination '10 MARK' positioned below. The mint mark 'A' for the Berlin Mint appears to the right of the denomination. The design is executed in a clean, formal heraldic style typical of GDR commemorative coinage. |
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| Reverse description | Central motif depicts the monumental Soviet War Memorial statue at Treptower Park in Berlin, showing a heroic soldier bearing a child and resting upon a shattered swastika, symbolizing the defeat of National Socialism. The commemorative legend is arranged in two parts flanking and surrounding the central device, referencing the 40th anniversary of the victory over Hitler fascism and the liberation of the German people. The composition is bold and sculptural, consistent with the socialist realist aesthetic prevalent in GDR commemorative issues. |
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| Additional information |
The 1985 "Liberation from Fascism" commemorative marked the fortieth anniversary of 8 May 1945, one of the most politically loaded dates in the GDR's official calendar — the regime built much of its foundational legitimacy on antifascist identity, treating the Soviet victory as the GDR's own origin story in a way the Federal Republic never could. This piece is a pattern (Probe), meaning it was struck for approval or internal review rather than general distribution, and almost certainly exists in very small numbers.
The J#1603 P designation places it firmly in Jaeger's supplementary pattern listings. Half-silver patterns from the Staatliche Münze Berlin rarely surface outside specialist German auctions.