GERMANY. Weimarer Republik. 1918-1933. Medal 1927 (Gold, 21 mm, 7.14 g, 12 h), privately issued as 20 Goldmark. By J. Wild, Nürnberg (Nuremberg). Nürnberg City view. Rev. 20 / GOLDMARK / 7,14 GRAMM / 1000/FEIN / 1927 in six lines. Fischer 20.3. Schlumberger W73. Extremely rare. In NGC encapsulation, graded MS 62. Good extremely fine.


Josef Wild (1872-1932) was a goldsmith and jeweler from Nuremberg who rose to notoriety during Germany’s hyperinflation after World War I. Trained as a craftsman, he had run his own jewelry business since 1897. When the currency collapsed in 1923, Wild began striking his own Goldmark and Dukat coins, hoping to provide people with a reliable store of value at a time when paper money was essentially worthless. But since issuing currency was the exclusive right of the Reichsbank, his activities were banned - and when he went further by minting imitations of official Imperial gold coins, he was imprisoned for counterfeiting.