50 Pfennig Pattern

In 1950, the newly established Federal Republic was still finalizing coinage specifications for its first independent currency, the Deutsche Mark. Several experimental compositions were tested before production standards were fixed — this brass-plated iron striking was among the candidates evaluated and rejected in favor of the cupro-nickel alloy that entered circulation. Pattern pieces from this process were never intended for public release, and surviving examples are almost certainly from mint holdings rather than any form of distribution.