2 Pfennig - Wilhelm I type 1 - large shield - Pattern

Pattern coinage from the early Kaiserreich period was struck in small quantities to test proposed designs before authorizing production runs — these silver-plated copper pieces were never approved for circulation, and most were distributed among officials, mint personnel, and collectors as presentation or trial specimens. The large shield variant was ultimately passed over in favor of a modified design, making survivors genuinely scarce rather than artificially so.