4 Reichspfennig

4 Reichspfennig - obverse4 Reichspfennig - reverse

© tolnomur (CC BY-NC-SA)

Features

Issuer Germany (1871-1948)
Period Weimar Republic (1918-1933)
Type Standard circulation coin
Year 1932
Value 4 Reichspfennig (0.04 RM)
Currency Reichsmark (1924-1948)
Composition Bronze
Weight 5.0 g
Diameter 24 mm
Shape Round
Technique Milled
Orientation Medal alignment ↑↑
Demonetized 1 October 1933
Number
N#
8463
References KM# 75,
Tracy L. Schmidt (editor); 2019. Standard Catalog of World Coins / 2001-Date (14th edition). Krause Publications, Stevens Point, Wisconsin, United States.
And 5 more volumes.
AKS# 52,
Paul Arnold, Harald Küthmann, Dirk Steinhilber; 2022. Großer deutscher Münzkatalog von 1800 bis heute (37th edition). Battenberg Gietl Verlag, Regenstauf, Germany.
J# 315,
Kurt Jaeger, Michael Kurt Sonntag; 2021. Die deutschen Münzen seit 1871 : mit Prägezahlen und Bewertungen (27th edition). Battenberg Gietl Verlag, Regenstauf, Germany.
Schön DM# 38
Gerhard Schön; 2019. Deutscher Münzkatalog 18. Jahrhundert 1700-1806 (5th edition). Battenberg Gietl Verlag, Regenstauf, Germany.

Obverse

A German eagle above the mintmark

Script: Latin

Lettering: D

Engraver: Reinhard Kullrich

Reverse

The numerical value in the center

Script: Latin

Lettering:
DEUTSCHES REICH 1932
4
REICHSPFENNIG

Translation:
German Reich 1932
4
Reichspfennig

Engraver: Reinhard Kullrich

Edge

Plain

Mints

A Berlin, Germany (1280-date)
D Munich, Germany (1158-date)
E Muldenhütten, Germany (1887-1953)
F Staatliche Münze Baden-Württemberg, Stuttgart, Germany (1374-date)
G Staatliche Münze Baden-Württemberg, Karlsruhe, Germany (1827-date)
J Hamburgische Münze, Germany (801-date)

Comments

This coin was issued in 1932 amid the Great Depression. Chancellor Heinrich Brüning's government decreed the issuance of this unusual face value on 8 December 1931, hoping that it would replace 5-pfennig coins and thereby help to reduce prices in those times of great economic hardship. The coin was, however, not very well-received by the population as it was awkward to use in a decimal system, and very few orders with the Reichsbank (central bank) were placed by banks and public institutions. Many of these coins circulated only for a short period and quickly returned to the central bank, despite instructions by the government to pay amounts of 2 marks (as a part of wages and salaries) in 4-pfennig coins. The coin was demonetized on 1 October 1933 after little more than a year in circulation. The coin's unpopularity explains its relative scarcity today.

The German population used several nicknames for this coin, most of which mocked the government's naive and largely unsuccessful deflationary policy. The most popular name in general use (and still remembered by coin collectors today) was "Brüning-Taler" ("Brüning dollar", after the then German chancellor Heinrich Brüning). Varieties of this name were "Brüning-Pfennig" and "Brüning-Sechser" ("Sechser" describes a 6-pfennig coin, an allusion to the unusual face value). The Berlin newspaper "Der Tag" even held a contest to find the wittiest name for the coin. Among the proposals sent by readers were names like "Armer Heinrich" ("Poor Heinrich"; after chancellor Heinrich Brüning), "Heinrichs Taler" ("Heinrich's dollar"), "Brünette" ("brunette", a pun on the chancellor's surname), "Heini" (the chancellor's nickname), "Hilfskreuzer" ("auxiliary penny"), "Rettungsmedaille" ("rescue medal"), "Druckknopf" ("press button"), "Proleten-Dollar" ("poor people's dollar"), "Pleite-Groschen" ("bankruptcy penny"), "Nottablette" ("emergency pill"), "Krisenkitt" ("crisis putty"), "Young-Pfennig" ("Young penny", after the Young Plan to settle Germany's World War I reparations) and "Tributgroschen" ("tribute penny").

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Date Mintage VG F VF XF AU UNC Frequency
1932 A 27 100 599 $ 5.50 $ 8.60 $ 9.60 $ 13 68%
1932 A 0.9% Proof
1932 D 7 055 000 $ 6.00 $ 6.00 $ 7.70 23%
1932 D Photo 0.5% Proof
1932 E 3 729 400 $ 6.60 9%
1932 E 0.3% Proof
1932 F 5 021 648 $ 7.60 $ 11 $ 11 15%
1932 F 0.4% Proof
1932 G 3 050 290 $ 6.60 $ 6.60 $ 6.90 11%
1932 G 0.19% Proof
1932 J 4 093 938 $ 7.00 $ 8.60 15%
1932 J 0.6% Proof

Values in the table above are expressed in USD. They are based on evaluations by Numista users and sales realized on Internet platforms. They serve as an indication only; they are not intended to be relied upon for buying, selling or exchanging. Numista does not buy or sell coins or banknotes.

Frequencies show the percentage of Numista users who own each year or variety among all the users who own this coin. Since some users own several versions, the sum may be greater than 100%.

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Members from this site want to exchange it: jan1176, jurrag, akadotour, G.IG., Sisilija, alederp, vasyli, Andrej-Oslo, cyprusalexander, CoinMatt, floyd1, jald1960, FDDR, TheNoob, coinsmor, wchansen, JLHare, Antun1982, J-J.Doubrovski, coin13, Netherlands62, DarioTracio, Andrey78, coincollect, halfdisme, 1111oink, abeilleecureuil

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Past sales

Pictures Sale Date Version Grade Sold price
Picture 1 of a sold 4 ReichspfennigPicture 1 of a sold 4 Reichspfennig
Heritage Auctions
2022 May 29 The Kansas Collection of German Coins Showcase Auction 61272
Lot 97383
Internet Archive
29 May 2022 1932 D – Proof UNC
(PCGS PR64 Red and Brown)
USD 384.00
(incl. buyer's premium)
Picture 1 of a sold 4 Reichspfennig
Katz
Auction 96
Lot 723
Internet Archive
23 Sep 2023 Undetermined UNC USD 9.71
(EUR 9.00)
(+ buyer's premium)
Picture 1 of a sold 4 Reichspfennig
Katz
Auction 96
Lot 722
Internet Archive
23 Sep 2023 Undetermined UNC USD 87.39
(EUR 81.00)
(+ buyer's premium)
Picture 1 of a sold 4 Reichspfennig
Katz
Auction 72
Lot 1688
Internet Archive
21 Dec 2022 Undetermined UNC USD 22.66
(EUR 21.00)
(+ buyer's premium)
Picture 1 of a sold 4 Reichspfennig
Katz
Auction 96
Lot 724
Internet Archive
23 Sep 2023 Undetermined USD 30.21
(EUR 28.00)
(+ buyer's premium)
Picture 1 of a sold 4 Reichspfennig
Katz
Auction 72
Lot 1687
Internet Archive
21 Dec 2022 Undetermined USD 65.81
(EUR 61.00)
(+ buyer's premium)
Picture 1 of a sold 4 Reichspfennig
Katz
Auction 67
Lot 289
Internet Archive
24 Sep 2022 Undetermined USD 48.55
(EUR 45.00)
(+ buyer's premium)
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