5 Reichsmark Meissen

The Meissen commemorative was issued to mark the 1,000th anniversary of Meissen's founding, one of several regional anniversary pieces the Weimar government authorized through the late 1920s as a way to sustain public interest in silver coinage during a period of deep economic instability. Production was split between the Berlin and Munich mints. The .500 fineness — half silver — was a deliberate concession to Treasury pressure; earlier Weimar 5-Mark pieces had used .900 silver, but sustained fiscal strain made that standard politically untenable by 1929.