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 Replies: 31 / Views: 12,885 |
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Moderator
 Australia
16829 Posts |
For some older opinions on this debate, see here and here. To me, the attitude of the seller, and your own personal attitude as the buyer, are key to any ethical consideration with regard to Nazi coins since, as Conder101 said, the Nazis themselves aren't around anymore to benefit from the sale of Nazi coins. Is the seller glorifying the Nazis? Does the seller sell Neo-Nazi trinkets as well as "real Nazi" relics? Does the seller give any indication that profits from the sale will go towards Neo-Nazi causes? If the answer to all of these questions is "no", then buy with a clear conscience. For you as a buyer: is your motive in owning Nazi coins one of honouring and appreciating the artwork of this particular regime, or is it a part of a broader collection of WWII coins, or a general German or world coin collection? If you're leaning more towards the first option, then you may have cause to question your motives. One can gain some appreciation of what life under Nazi rule was like, simply by comparing Nazi-era coins to both pre-and post-Nazi German coins. Weimar Republic silver coins have this inscription on their edge: "Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit", translated "Unity and Justice and Freedom". The Nazis replaced this with a new inscription: "Gemeinnutz geht vor Eigennutz", or "Public-Interest comes before Self-Interest". When Nazi Germany fell and the Federal Republic was established, the "Einigkeit" legend was restored to the coinage. The message couldn't be clearer: under the Nazis, such "selfish" things as justice and freedom were dispensed with, in the name of "public interest". I would share the OP's concern about such things being treated as mere bullion, though not perhaps for the same reason. Bullion silver changes form and bullion coins are destroyed. I would not like to see all Nazi coins melted down and destroyed and all traces of the Nazis eradicated, because future generations would not share the memories of those who lived through it. "Those who don't know history are destined to repeat it." 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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Moderator
United States
16679 Posts |
Quote:
The swastika is also used in American Indian Culture and can be traced back to the Tigris Euphrates River valley. It's been so long ago that I read about it, I can't remember the reference.
Being Native American myself, I know it was used by many tribes, most notably, the Navajo people. Here is the link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swasti...n_traditionsswcoin.ecrater.com
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Valued Member
United States
171 Posts |
I don't think there is anything wrong with this at all.....it's a part of history. I personally own a copy of Mein Kampf because it's relative to world history just like The Wealth of Nations and a few other books.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
958 Posts |
After ww2 nazi things were destroyed.
In some countries its even illegal to own such artifacts.
Making some of the coins very scarce
The war was one country wating to take over the world.
Only difference is germany did it not very long ago ,its all very fresh in out text books.
Roman coins? romans invaded and slughterd entire countries
British coins ? Bitish colonies slughter fest
Spanish coins ? bloodshed
U.S coins ? Genocide of the natives
Australian coins? aborgine sluaghter
All these coins are collected by many.
I remember holding some ww2 german coins in my hand many years ago. I got a creepy feeling thinking about ww2,pearl harbor,storming the beaches,work camps, countries being taken over people in fear.
Nazi coins can be a very powerfull thing looking at the history behind them
Right now if you hold a copper cent in your hand, think of where that copper mine was located
chances are someone was driven from the land and killed for its riches at one time or another
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10284 Posts |
I don't think this world is aware enough of all the atrocities and horror throughout history. I think a lot of people are like ostriches with their heads in the sand.
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
If you think about it there have been similar wars since people have been on Earth. Cave men had wars. The earliest humans and many animals have had wars since there was life on Earth. During the so called Bronze Age probably millions and millions of tons of Copper were used to make instruments of war. Your pennies may well at one time been a sword that killed hundreds of people. Your Silver coins could too have been at one time an ornament or something on the table of Gingis Kahn. He too killed or distroyed millions of people. Your Gold coins too could have been at one time the Gold used to make the statue worshiped by the jewish people during the time of Mosses. Metals have been recycled over and over and over throughout history and some or many or none of your coins could have been involved in mass murders somewhere. My suggestion is to not use anything made of metal, just in case. But then too there is that problem of rocks, stones and even wood being used as weapons of war. So stop using rhose also. And remember how many people have been killed with fire so stop using that too.   Actually there is no end to the substances used by people to kill people so now what? |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
625 Posts |
I have no problems with it. Why should I? Just like saying that I shouldn't own land that was once farmed by slaves. Or you don't want to buy products from China because people are exploited in the process of making it. What happened in the past is history. You can only learn from it and attempt to do better than those before you.
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
2838 Posts |
I agree with Coppertop5150, The Nazis were not the only group / race to have committed evil acts in the past. Being English I know better than most my ancestors have been responsible for many evil acts in the past but I dont feel the need to ignore, deny or even apologise for them! I feel the taboo that surrounds owning this type of item very odd indeed. Though I do understand the timescale will mean many people have living memories of the actual events. We cant remove these events from history (although some have tried) and I believe the taboo is what has attracted some extreme individuals and groups to collect them and sympathise with what they once stood for. This is Ebays restrictions policy relating to them: http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/offensive.htmlIn some ways I agree with the above but mostly I dont, the OPs item is first and foremost a coin. It should be traded as that, a coin. By restricting and banning the sale of items such as this all that has happened is that 'interest' (for the want of a better word) has increased and a number of private websites, many with questionable motives have began trading them. Is pushing these items 'underground' really the best way to promote understanding and prevent sympathiser from getting involved? Prob not! Just to add to a few earlier comments about the swastika it was first found in India about 3000 years ago, used widely in Eastern religions it stands for life, sun, power, strength, and good luck. I think reclaiming it for its original meaning would be better than banning it. |
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Valued Member
 United States
364 Posts |
Guys, great comments and thought-provoking, concise arguments all around. It's been enjoyable reading the responses.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6326 Posts |
Hmmmm.......I have no problem being interested in "Roman" coins....or Egyptian artifacts....or Nazi materials/coins....or Confederate coins/currency/artifacts/history.....or "Pre-Iraq war" money....or Soviet Union currency/history.....or Chinese coins/currency/history.....or Japanese.....or Greek......etc. etc. etc.
EVERY COUNTRY I listed (and many many many more) have HORRIBLE atrocities within their history.
Ever heard of American Indian Reservations ? African American Slavery ? Should we then not collect "American" coinage because of the holocaust committed against all of the American Indian tribes ? Or the African American ?
Of course not !.....to me this is ridiculous to have a notion that "Nazi" coinage should be shunned or ignored or illegal.
I do respect, and am sensitive to, those who are offended or affected by seeing a Nazi coin or a Confederate coin or battle flag though.
If your parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, or some other family member died in a concentration camp (whether here in the United States or in Germany), you deserve a certain amount of sensitivity.....but one person should not tell another one, what kind of old coins or whatever that they can collect or "possess". It's just as simple as that, to me.
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New Member
Canada
31 Posts |
Quote...
Then in a catalog I found a picture of a stamp from Austria that had a skeleton hand pulling off Hitler's face from a skull with the words "Never forget". Since then I've been contemplating the value (not worth) of items like these. I think their greatest value was printed on the Austrian stamp - never forget.
...Unquote
I've been collecting Nazi coins and stamps for a while and have never come across above said stamp, if anyone has a picture or knows where I could find one, let me know please, sounds interesting and if I can find one, the source may open the door to more Collectables I've never seen.
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Bedrock of the Community
13014 Posts |
Quote:
Is it possible the Nazi government at the time took some of this silver from the oppressed? If we then buy these coins for the bullion content, doesn't that risk us becoming like those that buy conflict diamonds? Therss nothing unethical about collecting Nazi coins for their history or to get their melt value. You werent a part of what they did therefor you have nothing to apologize for or be worried about. Unless youre going to live in a cabin in the woods living off the land youre buying things from countries that dont live up to US standards which by the way are the exception in the world as a whole not the rule of thumb. Oil is in everything and its assured at least some of what youve put in your car has come from the middle east who treats women horribly. Clothes shoes ect made in 3rd world countries, the list is literally endless. Especially for historical items all that should matter is if you either want the item for its history or its value of materials. Just simple owning an item like that doesn't make you a part of what they did or even a supporter of it |
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Moderator
United States
23522 Posts |
Why did you go back 2-1/2 years to find a thread to post in?
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Bedrock of the Community
13014 Posts |
Wow I didnt even realize that I just saw it at the top. Good job me, feel free to delete my posts
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Valued Member
Austria
194 Posts |
and another info: the german silver coins have been struck in the years before WW2.
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Replies: 31 / Views: 12,885 |
First Page
Posted 12/11/2010 04:56 am
