1932d 4-reichspfennig

[villa66]

Germany’s 1932d 4-reichspfennig struck in München of bronze, 24.1mm in diameter and weighing 4.9 grams. Coined very near the end of the Weimar republic, this oddly denominated coin was conceived as a depression-fighting tool and was championed by German Chancellor Heinrich Brüning (which is why this unpopular coin was sometimes called a “Brüning thaler”).

The 4-reichspfennig was an attempt—perhaps even a desperate attempt—to deal with the country’s deflationary economy of the early 1930s. German wages were falling, and these coins were introduced in the hope that they might encourage prices to fall as well.

Again, the 4-reichspfennig was not popular with the public, and an unusual strategy was adopted in the struggle to get the coin to circulate: soldiers and government workers each received 2RM worth of these coins (50) as a part of their salaries.

A similar strategy was used unsuccessfully by the Mexicans a half-century earlier with their small copper-nickel coins of the early 1880s, and a similar strategy was used unsuccessfully by the Americans a half-century later with their small copper-nickel dollars in the early 1980s.

The strategy was unsuccessful in Germany also; the 4-reichspfennig was withdrawn beginning 1 October 1933. (Which helps explain why these coppers are usually found in decent shape.)

One more thing about this particular coin…it was produced in München in 1932, just about the time the political movement that had been spawned there was graduating to Berlin. This failed 4-reichspfennig is one of the very small reasons why.

v.

[villa66]

It’s a nice-looking coin I think, although the eagle seems to be a little far down on the flan, almost as if space was being made for some motto or other small addition that failed to make it onto the finished coin. Is there any talk of this within the German coin hobby?

v.

[Mynter]

It’s a nice-looking coin I think, although the eagle seems to be a little far down on the flan, almost as if space was being made for some motto or other small addition that failed to make it onto the finished coin. Is there any talk of this within the German coin hobby?

v.

No,not at all. The 4 pfennig is not a topic at all, besides the odd denomination and a varity of contempory nicknames , such as " Armer Heinrich ( Poor Henry ) , Hilfskreuzer ( a funny word play , Kreuzer is both pointing to the name og a coin and to a type of warship ), Nottablette ( First Aid pill) and, probably of especially interest to you, " Young- Pfennig ".
Heinrich Brüning left Germany in 1934, he went to America, where he taught economics, besides a 2 - years periode between 1952 and 1954 he would be living in the US until his dead in 1970.

[villa66]

Thanks, Mynter, for the additional nicknames, and you're right, "Young-Pfennig" is of special interest to me. (I especially like Nottablette too.)

Thanks also for the heads-up on Bruning's later life. I had no idea he had come to live in the U.S., so I did a little reading on him. He was quite an interesting personality, apparently. But of course--anyone rising to power in those complicated times would have had an interesting route to high office.

One thing about Bruning sheds some light--I think--on the Nottablette...he taught economics. I remember some years ago when I learned the logic behind the '32 4-Rpf that I thought the thing was sort of hare-brained. Well no wonder--there was an economics professor in charge of things. (I mean no insult to anyone happening to read this--it's just that everyone tends to have a little tunnel-vision when it comes to their own particular specialty.)

Thanks again...

v.

[villa66]

Bitte, eine kleine Frage. It has been years since I encountered it, and I recorded only the English "Brüning thaler." Is the German, "Brüningsthaler?"

v.

[Mynter]

Bitte, eine kleine Frage. It has been years since I encountered it, and I recorded only the English "Brüning thaler." Is the German, "Brüningsthaler?"

v.

I would drop the s- interfix and rather speak of " Brüningtaler " or better " Brüning- Taler " , as does Jaeger.

[villa66]

" Brüning- Taler " it is. Thanks!

v.