Mecklenburg-Schwerin 5 mark coin

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5 mark
1915 commemorative coin
General information
Country	German Empire Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Value	ℳ5.00
Years	1904 1915
Measurements and composition
Mass	27.7779 g
Diameter	38 mm
Thickness	3 mm
Composition	silver
Appearance
Shape	round
Alignment	medallic
Obverse	Click to Frederick Francis IV, Alexandra (1904) Frederick Francis IV, Frederick Francis I (1915)
Reverse	Reichsadler, state title, value, year
v · d · e

The 5 mark coin was first issued by the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin in 1904 to commemorate the wedding of Grand Duke Frederick Francis IV and Princess Alexandra of Hanover. Another coin was issued in 1915 upon the 100th anniversary of Mecklenburg-Schwerin's promotion to a grand duchy.

History

1904 coin

Grand Duke Frederick Francis IV of Mecklenburg-Schwerin married Princess Alexandra of Hanover on June 7, 1904 in Gmunden, Austria-Hungary. Mecklenburg-Schwerin issued a special 5 mark coin that year in commemoration of the event. It had the standard composition and measurements of every 5 gold mark coin issued by the states of the German Empire at the time, having been composed of .900 fine silver, weighing 27.7779 grams, and measuring 38 millimeters in diameter and 3 millimeters thick. A left-facing portrait of Frederick Francis IV was engraved in the foreground of the obverse, and one of Alexandra was displayed behind him in the midground. Encircling both likenesses were two legends reading "FRIEDRICH FRANZ - ALEXANDRA GROSSHERZOG U. GROSSHERZOGIN V. MECKLENB. SCHW." and "7 VI", the latter of which signified the date of the royal wedding. Directly underneath the portraits of the grand duke and duchess was an "A" mint mark, which indicated the coin was struck at the mint in Berlin. The Reichsadler of the German Empire was displayed on the reverse, accompanied by the state title of the Second Reich (DEUTSCHES REICH), the coin's value, and the year. Along the coin's edge was an inscription reading "GOTT MIT UNS". A total of 42,500 examples were produced, 2500 of which were struck in proof quality.

1915 coin

The Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was raised to a grand duchy on June 14, 1815, during Duke Frederick Francis I's reign. One hundred years later, the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin issued a special 5 mark coin to commemorate the event. It featured a left-facing effigy of Frederick Francis IV in the obverse's foreground, and behind him in the midground was a similar effigy of former grand duke Frederick Francis I. Encircling both effigies was a legend reading "• FRIEDR • FRANZ • I • 1815 • FRIEDR • FRANZ • IV • 1915 • GROSSHERZÖGE V MECKLENB • SCHW •". Directly underneath the likenesses of the grand dukes was another inscription which read "JAHRHVNDERTFEIER" and an "A" mint mark. The reverse of the 1915 coin was very similar to that of its predecessor, except that it featured another variant of the Reichsadler, the heraldic eagle was separated from the inscriptions by a dotted border, and the font used for such inscriptions was changed. At least 10,000 examples were minted, with an unrecorded number being struck in proof quality.

A pattern 5 mark coin was designed and produced in 1915, but did not enter circulation.