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 Replies: 8 / Views: 4,504 |
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Valued Member
United States
51 Posts |
My wife felt a little weird about this coin in my collection. I actually feel its a piece of history and will be part of my collection. What is your opinion on coins like this?  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1666 Posts |
I think people take the Nazi symbol too seriously when it comes to coins, especially considering it has a long history in many cultures prior to Nazism. Even 1920's and 1930's US good luck medallions often had one.
Some people are still offended by the symbol, but when it comes to coin collectors, it's not the symbol but rather the coin as a whole that is significant.
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Pillar of the Community
France
1591 Posts |
Depends what you collect :)
It's not the kind of coin I'd look for, but if I was collecting german coins (or the eagle theme, whatever) - why not :)
What happened is part of history, and it's better to remember than to forget or deny it (and see it happen again with anyone else).
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Pillar of the Community
Luxembourg
588 Posts |
These coins were legal tender during a very black era.
My granddad who was active in the resistance against Nazi Germany put some aside at that time from his change.
Several of them are now part of my collection.
These coins have been used by many people, no matter if they agreed with the symbol or not and as such they are absolutely collectible.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4897 Posts |
Swastikas are a part of a lot of cultures. However,what Nazis did was reverse the symbol so it turns counterclockwise. Native American and Indian swastikas rotate clockwise. I do have a couple though...they reside in my ever growing WWII type set.
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Valued Member
Croatia (Locally: Hrvatska)
342 Posts |
The first swastikas were found in the valley of the Euphrates and Tigris. It seems that over 3 000 years but only around 1 000 BC began to use, most likely in Troy. It was a symbol of the sun and four directions, represented the path of the sun, a symbol of the highest God, the divine power and life force. Hitler revived it and now represents racism and white supremacy. Like other occult symbols, are often placed inside the circle.
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Valued Member
United States
117 Posts |
I have one of these in my collection. I look at it this way... Just because I have a coin in my collection doesn't mean that I necessarily agree with the government that produces it. A coin like this is a part of history. If we forget about our history we are doomed to repeat it. Thus, censoring history just because it's something we don't agree with is wrong.
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Rest in Peace
United States
1729 Posts |
I have so-called Nazi coins, Libyan coins, ones from Spain (think Franco and the Inquisition), and others from countries run by notorious dictators in my darkside collection. I can easily separate these objects from the terrible histories associated with those countries. If I refused to collect coins from countries whose histories have included atrocities, not only would I instantly lose good friends in those countries, but I'd have to divest myself of my entire USA collection because of the recent revelation of drug and vaccine experimentation by the government, treatment of slaves ... you get the point.
Coin collecting is what you make of it, and if you are offended enough by a symbol not to include an object in your collection, you probably need to brush up on your history a little. bobbylena, I applaud you for holding on to this part of your collection. It is indeed part of a history which never should be denied.
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Valued Member
United States
137 Posts |
A nice thread. I concur. It's a coin. It would be equally wrong to deny the history (perhaps by destroying the coin) or to cherish the symbol and the government that it represented. The coin in itself is not inherently evil, no more than a rifle is inherently evil.
If you enjoy the coin, collect it.
IMHO.
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Replies: 8 / Views: 4,504 |
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Posted 03/01/2011 3:55 pm
