20 Mark Martin Luther - Pattern

This piece was struck to assess feasibility for the official 20 Mark Luther commemorative issued that same year, marking the 500th anniversary of Luther's birth. The production coin ultimately appeared in both copper-nickel and silver versions; this pattern represents one stage in that approval process. East German pattern coinage from this period was produced in extremely limited numbers at the Staatliche Münze Berlin, with most examples retained in official collections rather than released through normal channels.

Jäger pattern designations for DDR issues remain inconsistently documented — collector populations are thin and auction appearances rarer still.