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5 Pfennig - Erfurt Reibstein
| Issuer | Erfurt (notgeld), City of |
|---|---|
| Year | |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Milled, Countermarked |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Plain field bearing a single large raised numeral '5' centrally positioned, rendered in a bold, simple typeface without additional legend or device. The design is enclosed within a prominent beaded border that runs along the inner rim, leaving the surrounding field entirely unadorned. The minimalist composition reflects the practical, expedient nature of this Notgeld emergency token issue. |
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| Additional information |
Erfurt's municipal notgeld issues emerged from the acute small-change shortages that plagued German cities in 1917–1918, as wartime metal requisitions stripped copper coinage from circulation and the imperial mints struggled to meet demand. The "Reibstein" designation identifies a specific local merchant or issuing authority within the city's notgeld network — a reminder that German emergency coinage at this level was often as much a commercial instrument as a civic one.
Copper-plated zinc was the pragmatic compromise of the period: enough surface copper to pass visually, with zinc conserving the strategic metal underneath.