25 Pfennig - Wilhelm II Pattern

Pattern coinage from the German Imperial period rarely reached circulation, and this 1909 25 Pfennig probe is no exception — it was never adopted, leaving the 20 Pfennig as the closest denomination in regular issue. The German Imperial Treasury experimented with several denominations and alloy combinations in the years before World War I as nickel sourcing and production costs came under increasing scrutiny from the Reichstag.

The copper-nickel-zinc ternary alloy used here distinguishes it from the standard cupro-nickel of contemporary circulation pieces.