25 Pfennig - Aachen Pattern

Aachen was among the first German municipalities to issue notgeld coinage after the First World War, responding to a nationwide shortage of small-denomination metal currency that the central government was unable to address. This piece is a pattern — struck to test the design or dies before authorizing full production runs — which accounts for its considerable rarity relative to the circulating issues of the same type.

Funck catalogues several die variants for the Aachen iron series; the 1.7A designation places this among the documented pattern strikes, distinct from the regular issues by subtle die characteristics rather than any obvious physical difference.