Item number: A1876

Year: AD 1913

Material: Silver

Size: 36.5 x 36.5 mm

Manufactured by: Baden-Württemberg Mint

Provenance: Da Chen Stamps and Coins Collection 2015

This is a 5 Mark silver coin issued in AD 1913 by the Kingdom of Württemberg, a constituent state of the German Empire (Deutsches Kaiserreich).

Both sides of the coin are encircled by a beaded border. The obverse features a right-facing portrait of King Wilhelm II, the last king of Württemberg, depicted with a full beard. Surrounding the portrait is a circular German inscription: “WILHELM II KOENIG VON WUERTTEMBERG,” meaning Wilhelm II, King of Württemberg. Below the portrait, there is a mintmark “F,” indicating that the coin was struck at the Baden-Württemberg Mint.

The reverse of the coin displays the Imperial Eagle. At its centre is a small two-coloured escutcheon bearing the coat of arms of the Hohenzollern dynasty, positioned on the chest of a single-headed Prussian black eagle with white shoulders, forming the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Prussia. This emblem is encircled by the Order of the Black Eagle and further borne upon the breast of the single-headed black Imperial Eagle, crowned with the Holy Roman Empire’s imperial crown, thereby constituting the coat of arms of the German Empire.

According to the Reichsmünzgesetz (Imperial Coinage Act) promulgated in AD 1873 following German unification, coins with a denomination of 1 Mark or below could only be minted by the central authority, whereas individual federal states retained the right to issue coins of denominations exceeding 1 Mark, provided that the reverse of these coins bore the Imperial Eagle as the national emblem. Additionally, the fineness and weight of silver coins were standardised across the empire, maintaining a silver-to-copper ratio of 9:1. At this time, the Mark was backed by gold reserves, leading to its designation as the “Goldmark.” However, with the onset of the First World War, Germany abandoned the gold standard to finance military expenditures. Precious metal coins were hoarded by the public due to their intrinsic value, effectively withdrawing them from circulation and leading to their replacement by the “Papiermark.” Although, in theory, the Papiermark was intended to hold parity with the Goldmark, its value was no longer pegged to gold. Severe inflation during and after the war, particularly in the interwar period, led to the widespread use of this term in a somewhat derisive context.The minting period for this particular 5-Mark coin design spanned from AD 1891 to AD 1913.

The upper edge of the reverse side bears the German inscription “DEUTSCHES REICH 1913,” indicating German Empire and AD 1913. The lower edge displays the denomination “FÜNF MARK” (5 Mark), flanked on both sides by five-pointed stars as decorative elements.

The Kingdom of Württemberg, located in southern Germany, existed from AD 1806 to AD 1918. Wilhelm II of Württemberg ascended the throne in AD 1891, succeeding his uncle. Following the end of World War I, Wilhelm—like other German monarchs—was forced to abdicate. He spent his later years in Bebenhausen Castle, where he passed away in AD 1921.

物件編號: A1876

年代: 公元 1913 年

材質: 銀

尺寸: 36.5 x 36.5 mm

製造地: 巴登-符騰堡鑄幣廠

來源: 大城郵幣社 2015

這是一枚公元1913年，德意志第二帝國轄下的邦國，符騰堡王國發行之面額5馬克銀幣。

錢幣的正反兩面皆有一道珠圈環繞。錢幣正面是留著落腮鬍的末代符騰堡國王威廉二世的右側肖像，肖像的周圍以德文打印環形銘文「WILHELM II KOENIG VON WUERTTEMBERG」即「威廉二世 符騰堡國王」。肖像底部則有一個巴登-符騰堡鑄幣廠的戳記「F」。

錢幣背面為帝國鷹，最中央的雙色迷你盾徽，為霍亨索倫王朝的紋章，承托於白肩黑羽單首的普魯士鷹胸前，組合為普魯士王國的盾徽，盾徽由黑鷹勳章環繞，承托於黑羽單首的帝國鷹胸前，加以神聖羅馬帝國皇冠，組合成為德意志帝國的國徽。依德國統一後，公元1873年頒布的《鑄幣法》(Reichsmünzgesetz)，一馬克及以下面額的貨幣僅能由中央鑄造，各邦國可自行鑄造一馬克以上的貨幣，僅貨幣背面須得加上「帝國鷹」國徽。同時，帝國全境之成色與重量皆一致，銀幣當為銀銅比九比一。此時馬克以黃金作為準備金，故又稱「金馬克」。直到一戰開始，德國為籌集軍費，放棄金本位，貴金屬幣因保值被民眾儲藏，從而實質上退出流通，為「紙馬克」所取代。「紙馬克」理論上與「金馬克」為同樣的貨幣，只是價值不再與黃金勾兌，加以一戰及戰間期發生的劇烈通貨膨脹，故有此戲稱。該形制的5馬克鑄行期間為公元1891至1913年。

鷹徽的上緣以德文打印國名和發行年份「DEUTSCHES REICH 1913」(德意志帝國 1913)，下緣則是左右兩側以五角星裝飾的面額「FÜNF MARK」(5馬克)。

符騰堡王國座落於德國南部，其存續時間為公元1806至1918年間。符騰堡的威廉二世於公元1891年繼承叔叔的王位。第一次世界大戰結束後，符騰堡的威廉和其他德國皇室成員一樣，共同面臨退位的命運，最終於公元1921年逝世於貝奔豪森城堡。