POLAND, German Occupation. Łódź (Litzmannstadt) Ghetto, 1940-1944. Set of 2 pattern coins 1942 (Lead, 36x38 mm, 63.32 g), pair of trial strikes. 'Der Aelteste der Juden' around value 5; below, Star of David between two oak leafs. Rev. 'Litzmannstadt - Getto' / •1942• Star of David ornamented with six rye ears. Campbell -. Franquinet/Hammer/Schoenawa pp. 38 and 125 (this double-sided trial). Jaeger -. KM -. Schaaf -. Of the highest rarity, the only known examples. With certificate of authenticity by G. Franquinet. Struck from worn dies, otherwise, good very fine.



As part of the approval process for the Łódź Ghetto currency, lead trial strikes were produced and submitted to the German ghetto administration for examination. Regular minting was permitted only once these trials had been approved.

On 24 June 1942, however, Hans Biebow, head of the German ghetto administration, ordered the already struck 10 Pfennig coins to be melted down because they too closely resembled the circulating German 10 Reichspfennig pieces (Jaeger 371). As a result, the dies that had already been prepared for the 5 Pfennig denomination were never used for regular coinage.

The only surviving examples of this denomination are therefore these lead trial strikes produced during the approval process. These specimens are important witnesses to a denomination that never advanced beyond the preparatory stage.