L. Chr. Lauer of Nürnberg was one of Germany's most prolific producers of notgeld and ersatz coinage, and zinc pieces like this one were struck in response to acute metal shortages that crippled municipal and commercial token production during and after World War I. Zinc was a compromise material — resistant to the hoarding that plagued copper and nickel — though it corrodes aggressively in circulation, which explains why clean survivors are harder to find than mintage figures alone would suggest.
L. Chr. Lauer of Nürnberg was one of Germany's most prolific producers of notgeld and ersatz coinage, and zinc pieces like this one were struck in response to acute metal shortages that crippled municipal and commercial token production during and after World War I. Zinc was a compromise material — resistant to the hoarding that plagued copper and nickel — though it corrodes aggressively in circulation, which explains why clean survivors are harder to find than mintage figures alone would suggest.