Coin Pièce Germany (Federal Rep.) 5 deutsche mark Silver 1978 F Stuttgart

This 5 Deutsche Mark coin was issued in 1978 by the Federal Republic of Germany to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the birth of Balthasar Neumann, the renowned German Baroque architect (1687?1753), best known for designing the Würzburg Residence and the Basilica of Vierzehnheiligen.

This coin was struck at the Stuttgart mint, identifiable by the letter F appearing on the coin, which is the official mint mark of that city. It is made of silver with a fineness of 625?, meaning an alloy composed of 62.5% fine silver, in accordance with the standards then in force for German commemorative coins of this denomination.

From a technical standpoint, the coin has a weight of 10 grams and a diameter of 29 millimetres. The obverse features the standard design used on Federal Republic 5-mark commemorative coins, with the German federal eagle alongside the face value and the required inscriptions. The reverse is dedicated to Balthasar Neumann, featuring his portrait or a representation related to his architectural work, accompanied by dates marking the tercentenary of his birth.

The 5 Deutsche Mark commemorative coins formed a regular series issued by the Federal Republic of Germany to honour notable figures and landmark events in German and European history. This 1978 issue is fully in keeping with that tradition, paying tribute to one of the greatest exponents of Baroque architecture in Germany. The Stuttgart mint mark F makes it a specific variant within the various issues of this coin, which could be produced simultaneously at several mints of the Federal Republic.