Margin writing
In numismatics, marginal writing is the name given to characters embossed ( knurled ) on the edge of the coin .
Marginal fonts serve to make coins more forgery-proof. They can be produced either "deepened" (as with the 2- euro coins) or "raised" (as with the 5-franc coins ). Recessed marginal fonts are the more common variant. The characters are embossed "inwards" in the edge. Raised marginal fonts are rarer, more complex to produce and very forgery-proof. Here, the characters are embossed so that they can be felt.
The use of marginal scripts goes back as far as the production of coins with the help of machines. On the 3, 5 and 20 mark pieces of the German Imperial Era (1871–1918) the margin inscription GOTT MIT UNS can be found in block letters. During the Weimar Republic , fluted edges were used or - on some 3 and 5 mark pieces - unity and justice and freedom . During the National Socialist era, marginal inscriptions such as Gemeinnutz vor Eigenzutz were minted on German coins . After the Second World War, the words unity and law and freedom were used on German 2 and 5 mark coins. The German 2 euro pieces also have this margin writing.
Coins made of gold and silver were once minted. People began to remove the precious metal from the smooth-edged coins. As Münzverringerung this process was called. Edge embossing helped prevent gold and silver from filing off. It could be seen whether a coin was still intact or whether someone had enriched himself from it.
As an alternative to words, characters or certain structures can also be used as marginal writing. These include B. the notch edge (10 and 50 cent pieces), the corrugated edge (1 euro piece) or the arabesque edge (1 DM piece). The difference between the notch edge and the fluted edge is that the notch edge has a fixed number of notches, while the fluted edge does not set the number of flutes.
A special form of marginal writing was the so-called security edge . It was used in some English-speaking countries in the 1970s and 1980s. A notch is embossed all around a coin, creating an edge that resembles the letter M. However, this system turned out to be too expensive and not forgery-proof enough.
One of the first marginal inscriptions on silver coins shows the Cromwelltaler from 1658. With HAS NISI PERITVRVS MIHI ADIMAT NEMO, translated “Verderben dem die Umschneisse” [Verder the man who circumcises me], the clipping of the edge of the coin should be prevented. According to Johann Christian Kundmann, "this marginal writing [...] on this Thaler [...] has something special, and this invention is generally attributed to the Cromwell ".
literature
- Helmut Kahnt, Bernd Knorr: Old measures, coins and weights. A lexicon. Bibliographisches Institut, Leipzig 1986, licensed edition Mannheim / Vienna / Zurich 1987, ISBN 3-411-02148-9 , p. 395.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original dated February 16, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Carl Christoph Schmieder: Concise Dictionary of Entire Coin Studies (1811), p. 104
- ^ D. Johann Christian Kundmann: Nummi Singulares oder ... (1734), p. 34
