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.
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.