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 Replies: 66 / Views: 8,955 |
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New Member
United States
16 Posts |
I don't post here much but I read this forum almost everyday.
I've recently been collecting 5 reichs mark coins from the Nazi era. When I show them one, 50% of people think it's the coolest thing to have, the other 50% think that they're evil and don't even want to touch them... like they'll be cursed or something.
I was wondering if you guys collect these coins and have experienced the same type of reaction I'm getting from family and friends.
Thanks!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2661 Posts |
I have several German coins from the same era. Everyone that has seen them says they think is neat to have something with tangible history behind it. People need to realize that it is not the swastika it self that is evil, for it is an ancient Indian symbol. It was the men behind it that were the ones who were evil, and their actions prove that.
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Moderator
United States
14454 Posts |
I think its also the meaning it still has that people seem to have a stigma about. The White supremacist groups and such use the symbol also, not to mention the German thing and what they did. I think everyone thinks it just stands for hatred and don't even want to be associated with it in any way. Myself I have no problem with it but I can see why others would
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6325 Posts |
As long as they're (the coins) aren't being used in conjunction with "race-hatred" propaganda....white supremacist groups and "leaflets".....and "handed out" at rally's, etc. etc..... to "offend people". In other words....if you wear a "white hood" on the weekends and have these coins in your pocket all the time.....then I'd have a problem with the coins AND you ! ...Ha Ha
But from a coin collecting standpoint, I have no problem with them at all. I'd like a few myself. It is a part of "history".
Similar arguements could be made with "Confederate money" as well.....but it doesn't make you a racist to own some.
I'm German and Austrian mostly.....(but part Danish, Canadian, and American Indian too) So, I've often thought it'd be neat to collect some coins from Germany's history.....from ALL of the era's.
People should not have this "aversion" to these coins, as long as they don't define who "you" are.
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
1506 Posts |
Well said Eaglefoot.
CCF member Member Since: 07/27/2008
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Bedrock of the Community
10045 Posts |
Well...yeah, Nazi stuff gets strange reactions, or perhaps better put as extreme emotions. I know many people for whom these objects recall unhappy memories, and I do understand/respect that. Personally, I don't find this stuff very interesting--except in a larger historical context, as in rise/fall of Third Reich. I think it's important to get beneath the surface of all these coins, medals, documents and better understand what happened. But that's just me.  |
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Moderator
Australia
13499 Posts |
You do indeed get the whole range of reactions - even from collectors. Most of us have no problem discussing them, as coins. See this thread. Sometimes, other reactions appear - like in this old thread. The swastika itself is usually the core problem people have. In this thread, clembo had pictures hosted on photobucket of some pre-Nazi (1920's) poker chips bearing a swastika - back then, the swastika was a good luck symbol. Photobucket spotted the swastika, and deleted the pics - apparently because posting things Nazi-related is in violation of their policy. I see the pics there have finally been restored. The swastika is certainly a problem in France - I understand that nothing featuring one is allowed to be bought or sold there. If you're selling Nazi items on eBay, make sure French people can't find them easily. Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
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New Member
United States
16 Posts |
Thanks for all the feedback and comments guys. I see it as history... good or bad, we cannot escape it.
Sap, thanks for those links!
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
11935 Posts |
If I liked the coin .. I would own some. I do not live my life trying to make others happy.
There are always people who do not understand coin collecting at all. How many times have we all heard
"You paid how much for that penny" So don't worry about the negative people, collect what you like.
Someday when I get more of my U.S coins completed. I hope to start a sort of country set of sorts, a few coins for each country, and I am sure a nice German coin or two would fit right in.
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Valued Member
United States
317 Posts |
It's funny you should mention this....I'm currently assembling a set of the silver 2 and 5 Reichsmarks from 1936-1939 with the Swastika below the eagle. And I get similar mixed reactions. Like eaglefoot, I'm of German descent, 50% ( the other half being Turkish). I feel that the Nazi period is important to remember and learn from, and one of the main reasons I collect coins is for the history they represent. I collect German, Turkish and U.S. coins from all time periods. As my maternal grandparents were both born in Germany, and didn't come to America until 1948, the Nazi period is part of my family's history and thusly part of my history. While I'm by no means a Nazi, those coins are still part of my Heritage and history, and I'm just as proud of them as I am of all my other coins. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20023 Posts |
I like this subject. Coming from a family of Jewish, Catholic, Luthern, Prespaterians and others, we have had our share of odd discussions. Parents from Germany don't help either sometimes. At flea markets, gun or knife shows, German WW2 artifacts really go for some high prices and not many hate those for some reason. Nothing like a WW2 Mauser Broomhandle Handgun with matching shoulder stock.
Contrary to this is at coin shows I seldom ever see any WW2 coinage. At flea markets many times I've seen items like flags, books, arm bands, knives, etc all from WW2 on the German side and all sell good.
So popular that now many fakes are appearing with the Swastika on them from China. A knife with a Swastika is really all over the place from China.
For coins I'm not a foreign coin collector but for some reason as soon as I tell anyone at work I collect coins, they offer me some from their country if not the US. From that I've acquired a real lot of coins from WW2 Germany. Not sure what most are but still save them in one big box. Don't think I've ever noticed people afraid to touch any of those items.
As a person of German decent it's possible many just don't want to mention this topic in front of me. I might be a leftover from then or something.
just carl
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Pillar of the Community
United States
648 Posts |
As a collector of WWII era coins, I "need" to have these coins in my collection, and I have no problem with it. There is hardly a country on earth that someone couldn't point to and say "I'm not collection coins from that country, because they did (fill in the blank) in the year (fill in the blank)" Although, it would be hard to beat the Nazi degree of inhumanity.
I recently saw a conversation about this in a different forum. There were actually a few people suggesting that all Nazi era coins should be collected and melted down!
I guess my opinion is, if you don't like them, don't collect them. And don't assume that just because somone has some in their coin collection, that they are a Neo-Nazi.
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Moderator
United States
94533 Posts |
Quote:
There were actually a few people suggesting that all Nazi era coins should be collected and melted down! What? I suppose book burnings will come next.  The fact that these coins (and other collectibles) still exist and generate this discussion serves a purpose; a reminder of what has happened. If we remove all traces of the past, we run the risk of allowing such mistakes to be repeated. Discussion, debate, and disagreement are good things.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1729 Posts |
If we remove all traces of the past, we run the risk of allowing such mistakes to be repeated.
Worthy of a billboard, jbuck. Thanks.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
648 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
648 Posts |
Quote:
What? I suppose book burnings will come next. That's what I thought too, jbuck. I couldn't believe my eyes. 
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Replies: 66 / Views: 8,955 |
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Posted 02/02/2010 12:17 pm
