10000 Mark Germany Brass

1923, German States, Westphalia. Emergeny Coinage. Large 10,000 Mark Coin.

Mint Year: 1923 Denomination: 10,000 Mark Reference: Funck 645. 7a/b, Jaeger N 200b. Material: Copper / Bronze (gold plated) Weight: 32.43gm Diameter: 44mm

Obverse: Head of Minister vom Stein left. Gothic legend around. Legend: MINISTER VOM STEIN 1751-1831 DEUTSCHLANDS MINISTER IN SCHWERER ZEIT Translated: "Minister Vom Stein, Germany’s leader in More Difficult Times" 

Reverse: Rearing horse in center, value (10,000 Mark) below horse. Legend: NOTGELD DER PROVINZ WESTFALEN . 1923 . Translated: "Emergency Currency of the Westphalia Porvince"

The Prussian Province of Westphalia (Westfalen) struck some of Germany´s most spectacular emergency coins as the Mark made lurching progress into a classic hyper-inflation betweeen 1921 and 1924. As German numismatist Fritz Reissner pointed out in 1940, the intent of the issues was not to provide a circulating coinage but create a numismatic memorial to one of the darkest periods in German history up to that time. Military defeat, foreign occupation of the industrial Ruhr and Inflation were made daily news. The Westphalia pieces have beeen enthusiastically collected for more than 85 years.

The Province of Westphalia (German: Provinz Westfalen) was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia from 1815-1946.

Napoleon Bonaparte founded the Kingdom of Westphalia, which was a client state of the First French Empire from 1807-13. This state only shared the name with the historical region, containing mostly Hessian and Eastphalian regions and only a relatively small part of the region of Westphalia.

Although Prussia had long owned territory in Westphalia, King Frederick William III had preferred to incorporate the Kingdom of Saxony first. It was not until the Congress of Vienna in 1815 that the Province of Westphalia came into being.

After the end of World War II, the province was merged with the northern half of the Rhine Province to form the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia in 1946, with the addition of the former state of Lippe in 1947.