Hi Friends,
One of the reasons I love our hobby so much is I get to learn some amazing history. Here is a coin I found in Bavaria dated 1819. While trying to identify it I learned some interesting history and thought I 'd share that with you.
From the end of March 1808 until 1821 no coins were minted in Prussia. As a result, there was soon a shortage of small change. Private coins were minted to fill that gap (much like England and other countries). These coins became know as "Judenpfenninge" or Jewish pennies. In this respect, the Jewish pennies were also a makeshift money that, like the English tokens, was supposed to remedy an actual shortage. They were gladly accepted as long as the recipients were convinced of their marketability. In addition, they were tolerated by the state.
From Wikipedia: "Jewish pennies. In the first and second decade of the 19th century there was an utter lack of coins on the Rhine because none had been struck in Prussia since 1808...merchants took advantage of this opportunity by having the smallest copper coins, pfennigs and hellers, minted somewhat more easily than the legal ones, namely the first with imaginary names 'Atribuo', 'Theler', 'Halbac', and imaginary images such as a shield with 2 clay pipes, an arm, star, wreath, lion...with the years 1703, 1740, 1807, 9, 10, 18, 19, 20 and 1821...they have always been called 'Frankfurter Judenpfennige'."
- Friedrich Freiherr von Schrötter : Dictionary of Coin Studies , 1930, Lemma Judenpfennige
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