Coin Pièce Germany (Federal Rep.) 10 deutsche mark Silver 1988 F Stuttgart

This 10 Deutsche Mark coin was issued in 1988 by the Federal Republic of Germany to commemorate the centenary of the optical company Carl Zeiss, founded in Jena in 1846 by optician Carl Zeiss. This commemorative issue pays tribute to one of the most iconic firms in the German optical and scientific industry, whose contributions have had a lasting impact on the fields of microscopy, photography and precision optics.

The coin was struck at the Stuttgart mint, identified by the mintmark F, one of the five minting facilities that participated in the striking of West German commemorative coins. The total mintage amounts to 8,000,000 pieces, making it a relatively accessible issue.

From a technical standpoint, this coin is made of silver with a fineness of 625 thousandths, corresponding to an alloy composed of 62.5% fine silver. It has a weight of 15.5 grams and a diameter of 32.5 millimetres, standard dimensions for 10-mark commemorative coins of this period.

The obverse of the coin features, in keeping with the commemorative issues of the FRG of that era, the German federal eagle accompanied by the face value and the inscription BUNDESREPUBLIK DEUTSCHLAND. The reverse is dedicated to the Carl Zeiss theme, with a representation evoking the world of scientific optics, accompanied by the company name and commemorative dates. The year of issue 1988 also appears, along with the mintmark letter F.

This coin is part of the long series of commemorative 10 Deutsche Mark coins issued by the FRG between 1952 and the end of the mark, a series that today constitutes a reference numismatic collection for collectors specialising in 20th-century German coinage.