Coin and Paper Money Collecting/value of 1888 coin

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Expert: - 6/10/2010


Question

Brooch, Wilhelm II
I have a silver coin with the portrait of Kaiser Wilhelm II (1888 – 1918) right. Semicircular inscription: WILHELM II DEUTSCHER KAISER KONIG V. PREUSSEN.
Reverse: The arms of the country with a so-called small eagle, above it – the German imperial crown; on a breast of an eagle – board with the arms of Prussia, around it – a Prussian award of the Black Eagle with a circuit. Semicircular inscription: DEUTSCHES REICH 1888 ∙ ZWEI MARK.

This coin is intact and placed into an elaborate wreath with a crown and bow for the front and a plain back with pin to make a brooch.
What is the value of this coin?  It is in excellent shape, particularly on the side of the eagle.  I can not get a truely accurate picture of the beauty of Wilhelm II.  There are some scratches on the image of Wilhelm II.
Sincerely,
Patricia Simmering

Answer
Hi Patricia,
You certainly have a great piece!
The coin itself appears to be in very good shape, I would say EF (extremely fine) details. However, the net grade on the coin would be lower, due to the light hairlines on the surface which denote a past rubbing with a cloth. Also, if the coin were ever removed from the mount there would be visible solder marks around the edges that would also lower the net grade. For this reason it would be an EF details, rather than a true EF.
Now for the good news. There are two varieties for the 1888 Prussian 2 mark. One is fairly common and has a value range from $10 to about $100 depending on condition. This version would depict Wilhelm I. Your coin is the rare variety, with the bust of Wilhelm II. The year 1888 is known as the year of three rulers in Prussian history. That year Wilhelm I, Friedrich III and Wilhelm II all had their portraits on coins.
The value on your coin ranges from $100 for a well used example to $600+ for one in mint condition. There were only 141,000 made, and based on the value I would assume many were melted down.
A practical value on this coin (by itself) would be in the lower end of that range. I would expect somewhere between $100 and $150.
The mount: I have seen many fine German mounts in this style, but most are not nearly this ornate. There are traces of gold gilding on the surface, I can only imagine how nice it would have been when it was new!
A separate value for the mount is $20 to $30. Please note that if the piece was sold as is the value of the coin would prevail. There would not be any real premium for the mount, since the vast majority of people interested in the coin would want it removed from the mount.
Thanks for the question! =)

    Questioner's Rating
    Rating(1-10)Knowledgeability = 10Clarity of Response = 10Politeness = 10
    CommentExcellent succinct evaluation. Very friendly and professional expert. Much appreciated!


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Dmitry Livshits

Expertise

My specialty is world coins from the 18th to 20th centuries, primarily non-US foreign coins and related areas such as errors and exonumia (tokens, medals, etc.). I can answer questions relating to identification, grading, selling, preservation and evaluation of such items. In addition to catalog value, I can give you the practical market value and trends for specific types of coins. I will also take questions regarding counterfeits (both modern and antique) and on how to identify them. I am NOT knowledgeable in paper money/banknotes, ancient or "shipwreck" coins. Thank you.

Experience

Collector of world coins since early childhood. Access to a variety of auction records and reference material. You can also find me on Facebook.

Education/Credentials
A.S. in Psychology (2006), B.A. in Forensic Psychology (2008), M.A. in Forensic Psychology (2011).

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