Germany, Weimar Republic 5 Reichsmark 1929

History

5 Reichsmark 1929, Germany, Weimar Republic, 1000th Anniversary of Meissen

Obverse. Photo © HISTORIA-HAMBURG.de

Description

Weimar Republic is an unofficial, historical designation for the German state between 1919 and 1933.

Meissen is a town of approximately 30,000 about 25 km (16 mi) northwest of Dresden on both banks of the Elbe river in the Free State of Saxony, in eastern Germany. Meissen is the home of Meissen porcelain, the Albrechtsburg castle, the Gothic Meissen Cathedral and the Meissen Frauenkirche. The Große Kreisstadt is the capital of the Meissen district.

Meissen is sometimes known as the "cradle of Saxony". The city grew out of the early Slavic settlement of Misni inhabited by the Glomacze tribe and was founded as a German town by King Henry the Fowler in 929. The Margraviate of Meissen was founded in 968 as well, with the city as the capital of the Margraves of Meissen. In 1423 Meissen became capital of the Electorate of Saxony. In 1464 the capital was moved to Dresden.

Meissen is famous for the manufacture of porcelain, based on extensive local deposits of china clay (kaolin) and potter's clay (potter's earth). Meissen porcelain was the first high-quality porcelain to be produced outside of the Orient.

Engraver: F. Hörnlein

Obverse	Animal (fish, bird, mammal etc.) Eagle Coat of arms Weimar Republic Depicts the coat of arms of the German Reich (1919–28), Imperial Eagle (Reichsadler) facing left, name of the country above, value below. After the introduction of the republic the coat of arms of Germany was also altered accounting for the political changes. The Weimar Republic (1918–1933), retained the Reichsadler without the symbols of the former Monarchy (Crown, Collar, Breast shield with the Prussian Arms). This left the black eagle with one head, facing to the right, with open wings but closed feathers, with a red beak, tongue and claws and white highlighting. The republican Reichsadler is based on the Reichsadler introduced by the Paulskirche Constitution of 1849, which was decided by the German National Assembly in Frankfurt upon Main, at the peak of the German civic movement demanding parliamentary participation and the unification of the German states. DEUTSCHES REICH FÜNF REICHSMARK
Reverse	Military Knight Depicts a knight holding two coats of arms: the lion of the Margraves in his right hand and the oblique cross of the burgraves of Meissen in the right one. Above him a stylized representation of the towers of Meissen. The figure divides a year. Legend "Thousand years of the castle and town Meissen". Mintmark (E) below. TAUSEND JAHRE BURG UND STADT MEISSEN 19 29 E
Edge	Inscribed (lettered) The "Deutschlandlied" (English: "Song of Germany") has been the national anthem of Germany since 1922. The stanza's beginning, "Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit" ("Unity and Justice and Freedom") is considered the unofficial national motto of Germany. EINIGKEIT UND RECHT UND FREIHEIT