Pattern coinage from the Weimar Republic's 1925 monetary reforms occupies a peculiar position — these pieces were produced to test specifications before the final design and alloy decisions were locked in, meaning most examples never left official hands. The .500 silver fineness ultimately adopted for the circulating 2 Reichsmark series was itself a compromise, driven by postwar silver price volatility and the government's need to conserve bullion reserves following the catastrophic inflation of 1923.
Surviving patterns from this period are institutional pieces first, coins second.
Pattern coinage from the Weimar Republic's 1925 monetary reforms occupies a peculiar position — these pieces were produced to test specifications before the final design and alloy decisions were locked in, meaning most examples never left official hands. The .500 silver fineness ultimately adopted for the circulating 2 Reichsmark series was itself a compromise, driven by postwar silver price volatility and the government's need to conserve bullion reserves following the catastrophic inflation of 1923.
Surviving patterns from this period are institutional pieces first, coins second.