Breslau issued this zinc notgeld piece during the acute coin shortage that gripped Germany from around 1916 onward, as wartime metal requisitions stripped copper and nickel from civilian circulation. Municipal and private issuers across the country filled the gap with locally produced Kleingeld, and Breslau — then one of the largest cities in Prussia — ran an unusually ambitious notgeld program with multiple series and denominations.
The Archimedes designation likely refers to a specific series or issuing body within the city's program rather than a commemorative theme. Zinc was the default fallback material once brass and aluminum allocations tightened in the later war years.
Breslau issued this zinc notgeld piece during the acute coin shortage that gripped Germany from around 1916 onward, as wartime metal requisitions stripped copper and nickel from civilian circulation. Municipal and private issuers across the country filled the gap with locally produced Kleingeld, and Breslau — then one of the largest cities in Prussia — ran an unusually ambitious notgeld program with multiple series and denominations.
The Archimedes designation likely refers to a specific series or issuing body within the city's program rather than a commemorative theme. Zinc was the default fallback material once brass and aluminum allocations tightened in the later war years.