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.
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.