# Wartime coin collecting? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 29, 2002, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wartime-coin-collecting/130160 "2002-09-29T23:23:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![burntsand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ba9def/32.png) [@burntsand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burntsand)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2002, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wartime-coin-collecting/130160/1 "2002-09-29T23:23:47Z")
I recently inherited some items from my German grandparents, who were adults during WW2. One of the items was an old pill box with a collection of coins in it. The coins were worn and unmounted, so this wasn’t a professional collection. As I looked them over, I noticed some unusual things about the coins: - they were all issued before 1945, most in the 1920s and 30s. - the countries represented: Czechoslovakia, Austria, Poland, Denmark, Norway, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Greece, and the Soviet Union; all invaded by the Third Reich. - out of 50 odd coins, there were only 3 from countries not invaded by Germany (the USA and Britain). So, at a guess, this might have been a “Victory” collection, of coins brought back or sent home by servicemen. Have any German or coin-collecting Dopers ever come across anything similar? Was this a common pastime? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2002, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wartime-coin-collecting/130160/2 "2002-09-29T23:34:40Z")
I see groups of coins like this 3 times per week. I buy coins for a living. Question: Where were you grandparents between 1930 and 1945? US? Europe. It could have been travel change that they brought back. I’ts less possible that it was a deliberate “countries invaded by the Nazis collection.” It could have been coins brought back by a soldier who fought in WWII. A “greatuncle?” ---
**Author:** ![burntsand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ba9def/32.png) [@burntsand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burntsand)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2002, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wartime-coin-collecting/130160/3 "2002-09-29T23:47:55Z")
My grandparents lived in Germany during the war. My grandfather and several great uncles were German soldiers, but to my knowledge did not serve as widely as the collection would indicate - one served in Russia, one in Africa, and one in France. ---
**Author:** ![mischievous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@mischievous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mischievous)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2002, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wartime-coin-collecting/130160/4 "2002-09-29T23:50:30Z")
Can I add to this question? My parents have some old German coins and notes from between the world wars. Apparently, the lack of metal and paper made people get creative. Some of the coins are tin, some are _ceramic_. The notes are all made of fabric, some printed and some hand-embroidered. Does anyone have any idea what these are worth/who might want them/who we should approach with them? Thanks, mischievous ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2002, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wartime-coin-collecting/130160/5 "2002-09-30T00:06:12Z")
The fabric notes and the tin/ceramic coins are part of multiple series issued after WWI by various German entities. Cities, towns, individuals. They were made in somewhat limited quantities and sold a souvenirs. Called Notgeld, they are very collectible but not all that valuable. Most tin/zinc/aluminum notgeld pieces are worth $1-$5. each. The fabric notes are more desireable but still worth in the $5-20 category. That doesn’t mean that you can easily get that for them. The average coin dealer generally doesn’t respect world coins and might offer very little.