For many the highlight will take place on the last day of auction: when Künker auctions off the Lorenz Collection, a special collection of minor denominations rarities and patters from post-1871 Germany. Not to forget silver and gold, this auction catalog offers all the great rarities of the German Empire in spectacular quality.

Auction 276: German post-1871 coins featuring the Lorenz Collection It is much harder to find minor denominations in an excellent condition, than silver high-denomination pieces or even gold coins. It's in the nature of things. One doesn't usually pay with a 500 euro note nowadays either. But that doesn't mean the notes are rare - they are simply horded and treated with care, just as it was done with 20 mark coins of the German Empire.

The small pfennnigs though, changed hands continuously. For one pfennig you could get an egg in 1880. And that was real money when you keep in mind that a butcher's assistant made 5 marks laboring for 72 hours a week.

All this, one should know in order to appreciate the quality of the Lorenz Collection. Considering, that there are about 50 preserved specimens of the Frederick the Wise silver coin, one can guess the level of rarity for an 1887 1 pfennig piece of which only 25 were minted. In the upcoming Künker sale, by the way, you will be able to bid on a Friedrich the Wise in proof, too. The piece is estimated at 60,000 euros. But back to the 1 pfennig piece. The item in question is literally the last pfennig of the Dresden mint, before it was moved to Muldenhütten (estimate: 10,000 euros). There is also an 1887 20 pfennig piece of the Muldenhütten mint, of which only 50 pieces were produced. In our auction it is appraised at 5,000 euros. Because the 1905 E pfennigs from Muldenhütten were only minted during Frederick Augustus III's visit to the mint, only a handful still exist. Our specimen for sale is estimate at 10,000 euros. But not all pieces are priced quite so highly. For example, an 1910 E 25 pfennig piece in proof condition is appraised at 150 euros.

Also the silver and gold of the German Empire offers many rarities. We already mentioned the popular Frederick the Wise. And the rarest gold type of the German Empire is to be found either: an 1872 20 mark piece with the portrait of Ernst II of Saxony-Coburg-Gotha.

The Lorenz Collection of patterns contains more than 200 pieces. Among them are many rarities, some of them are neither mentioned in the Beckenbauer nor in the Schaaf Collection. As common with patterns, their preservation is consistently better than extremely fine. Let us take a closer look at two pieces: A 1947 A 10 reichspfennig pattern, displaying a Slavic 7 (with a slash) and a 2 mark piece from 1950 with a deepened legend and devaluated through a punching.

You can order the catalogs at Künker, Nobbenburgerstr. 4a, 49076 Osnabrück; Tel: + 49 541 96202 0; Fax: + 49 541 96202 22; or email: service@kuenker.de. Please also find all pieces up for auction online at www.kuenker.de.

Lot 5517: GERMAN EMPIRE. 20 pfennig 1887 E. Only 50 specimens struck. Nearly FDC. Estimate: 5,000,- euros

Lot 5538: GERMAN EMPIRE. 1 pfennig 1905 E. J. 10 (this specimen illustrated). Nearly FDC. Estimate: 10,000,- euros

Lot 5747: GERMAN EMPIRE. Saxony. Frederick August III, 1904-1918. 3 mark 1917 E. Frederick the Wise. Proof. Estimate: 60,000,- euros

Lot 6187: GERMAN EMPIRE. Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Ernest II, 1844-1893. 20 mark 1872. Very fine to extremely fine. Estimate: 60,000,- euros

Lot 6200: GERMAN EMPIRE. Saxe-Meiningen. George II, 1866-1914. 20 mark 1872. Very rare. Proof. Estimate: 35,000,- euros

Lot 6314: WEIMAR REPUBLIC. 50 reichspfennig 1924 F. Proof. Estimate: 7,500,- euros

Lot 6442: GDR. Pattern for 50 pfennig 1949 A. Extremely rare. Nearly FDC. Estimate: 5,000,- euros

Lot 6674: LORENZ COLLECTION. 10 reichspfennig 1947 A, plain edge. With Slavic number 7. Zinc. Extremely rare. Extremely fine to FDC. Estimate: 4,000,- euros

Lot 6695: LORENZ COLLECTION. 2 DM 1950 D with deepened edge lettering, in between deepened oak leaves with acorns, ears. Devalued by hole. Extremely rare. Nearly FDC. Estimate:

You can order the catalogs at Künker, Nobbenburgerstr. 4a, 49076 Osnabrück; Tel: + 49 541 96202 0; Fax: + 49 541 96202 22; or email: service@kuenker.de. Please also find all pieces up for auction online at www.kuenker.de.