Coinage of the Third Reich

The coinage of Germany during World War II is almost an exact mirror image of events from the previous world war. However, during World War I, the people of Germany did not have the ideals of Nazism radiating from everywhere, every loudspeaker, every signpost, even from their own pocket change.

Two versions of the 5 Reichsmark coin
with President Hindenburg on the reverse

In 1933, when Hitler rose to power in Germany, the obverse, or front, of all German coinage were changed to show the German eagle holding in its talons the Nazi swastika. This would be the norm for the rest of the war, when it was removed of its swastika during Allied occupation. In the shift of power, there also were changes in the actual mintage of coins as well. For example, there was a short-lived push to replace 5 Reichspfennig coins with 4 Reichspfennig coins (a pfennig being the equivalent of a penny to the dollar, 100 Reichspfennigs to 1 Reichsmark). Also, the composition of the 1 Reichsmark coin was changed from silver to aluminum, while silver Reichsmarks were those of 2 Reichsmarks and 5 Reichsmarks, and the 3 Reichsmark coin being discontinued altogether.

Pre-war 2 Reichspfennig coin

Aluminum 50 Reichspfennig coin

As the war wore on, as in the first world war, the composition of German coins changed according to war materiel shortages. Similar to the United States in World War II, where their pennies were minted from steel in 1943 due to copper shortages, the lower denomination Reichspfennigs were changed from bronze-plated aluminum to zinc and aluminum, which is why German coins from this time period look black today, because the aluminum is corroded. Also, the 50 Reichspfennig coin, once silver, was now aluminum, as was the other Riechsmark coins.

Wartime 5 Reichspfennig coin

At the end of the war, under Allied occupation, German coins were minted virtually unchanged from their wartime design, save for the removal of the swastikas. It was not until 1948 that two separate German coinages would define the new East and West Germany's. Until next time, take care, and thank you.