Pfennig is a currency that has been used since the 9th century in Germany, and its tradition continued throughout the 20th century. The currency was changed during Nazi Germany, but only slightly, only to resume minting coins as they used to be after World War II. After the great war, West Germany, especially, had to recover its economy, so several mints were included in the making of German Pfennig.
Pfennig is the 100th part of the German Mark which was the main German currency until the introduction of the Euro.
It has been used for hundreds of years, and today’s value of 10 Pfennig marks is 0.010 German Marks. Although its value has been changing throughout the years, the German Marks remained one of the strongest European currencies until the introduction of the Euro later.
Just like the old coins that made parts of dollars, German Pfennig has some value and can be exchanged for US dollars on many online marketplaces, as well as street flea markets, antique stores, and auctions, about which you can inform yourself online.
If your grandparents or parents lived in Germany, or you visited it long ago, you could have some pfennig coins laying around. The particular pfennig coin that we’ll write about today is the 10 pfennig which was minted in 1950 and we’ll analyze its value.
If you’re looking to learn more about the value of the 10 Pfennig from 1950, you’ve come to the right place. The least valuable coins have a value of $0.10 while the most valuable error coins can go as far as from $150 to $200.
That being said, if you have some 10 pfennige from 1950 laying around, make sure to check this article and see how you can exchange it for money. The best part is that you can get even more money if your coin has some sort of a flaw or error that was made during the minting process.
If you’re a collector, but don’t have vast experience collecting Europe-based coins, this article is an ideal opportunity to learn more about German Pfennig. Given its numismatic and vintage value, this will be a great addition to your early coin collection.
Finding and exchanging old US dollar coins like cents and half dollars is easy if you’re US-based. Try collecting 10 Pfennig from 1950 West Germany and you’re guaranteed to have much more fun in doing so. Read more to find out!
About 10 Pfennig from 1950
Germany 10 Pfennig is the coin that makes the Deutsche Mark. Both represent the official currency of Germany, and after the aftermath of World War II caused Germany to split into East and Western Germany, the 10 Pfennig made the official currency of West Germany along with the Mark.
These two currencies have been used from 1948 to 1990 when Germany united again, and then until 2002, when the Mark was replaced by the Euro, like in the majority of the countries of the European Union. The first 10 German Pfennig was minted and issued under the name of the Allied occupation in 1948 and continued until 1999.
When it was first minted in 1948, it replaced the Reichsmark and made the official coin of the Federal Republic of Germany. It’s interesting to note that even after the Mark was replaced by Euros, the pfennig coins and other banknotes were still being circulated as parts of the euros. However, when euro notes and cents were introduced in 2002, Pfennig ceased to exist as a currency.
The 1950 10 Pfennig was designed by Adolf Jäger, it has a simplistic, yet valuable look that makes it stand out compared to other coins. Although some other variations of pfennig, including some earlier and later versions of 10 Pfennig was made out of nickel and copper, it’s worth noting that the 1950 version was made out of brass-plated steel.
This round coin weighs around 4 grams, and it was milled. In other words, it was made by machines in numerous German mints, which contributed to such high quantities being minted and in circulation. The marks and pfennig existed so that they could easily allow Western Germany to defend itself against the possible invasion of East Germany.
That being said, the total mintage of 1950 10 Pfennig was 1,689, 048, 300, amounting to 1.7 billion. The circulation mintage was nearly as high, but still less, as some coins were put away so that they’d be preserved in the mint state for the future, marking the circulation mintage of 1,689, 046,000 total coins.
The obverse of the coin consists of five Oak tree leaves, that have sprouted from a tiny, barely visible seed towards the bottom side of the coin. The Oak tree is an important symbol of the German people, and what has been considered the German empire for a long time. That being said, it doesn’t surprise that Germans used such a tree to mark the centuries of their existence.
The fact that there is a seed is the symbol of growth and restoration, as well as transformation and reconstruction of the German country after everything that took place during World War II. The corners of the obverse side of the coin, feature the legend around which reads BUNDESREPUBLIK DEUTSCHLAND, which translates to the Federal Republic of Germany.
At the bottom of the legend, you can find the issue year, which is 1950 in the case of this article.
Finally, there’s also the reverse side of the coin, which consists of two rye ears on the corners, and the value if you take a look at the ears of rye, you can see the numerical symbol 10, and under that PFENNIG so it would know which mark it is exactly.
The 10 Pfennig coins also have the mint mark at the top center of the reverse side of the coins. There are different mint marks from different mints that were manufacturing the Pfennig coins. Below are the following:
- D stands for the Bavarian Central Mint located in Munich
- F for the Stuttgart Mint
- G for Karlsruhe Mint
- J for Hamburg Mint
One thing about these mints is interesting, however. Even though the coins feature the 1950 year on the obverse, it’s worth mentioning that some coins were minted in later years, but the mints still kept 1950, which has a lot to do with authorization and legislation as initially 1950 was displayed on the reverse of the coin.
Is the 10 Pfennig from 1950 Valuable?
The Pfennig was completely replaced in 2002, with the Euro coins, as well as cents that have been in circulation since. However, different variations of the Pfennig coins remained in circulation and began being collected by others.
Coins from different years vary in value, and as Germany was still recovering in the late phases of the 1940s and early 1950s, many of the 10 Pfennig were minted.
That may not lead to a high value in US dollars, but if you have several of these coins that are well-maintained and don’t have visible signs of wear and tear, you can make some good money off it.
Another thing that decreases the value of vintage 10 Pfennig from the 1950s, is that unlike many types of coins, this coin is not made out of silver or gold, like certain cent coins from the USA. Instead, they’re made out of a combination of copper and zinc alloy called brass, as well as steel, which is usually coated in brass for a better look.
That being said, the Pfennig may not be so valuable, but values change with days and if you have a high quantity of those coins, you may be able to make money depending on which mint it was made. Lastly, the error coins can bring more money to you, which we’ll detail below.
10 Pfennig 1950 Value Chart
We concluded that the 10 Pfennig from 1950 has a certain value, which may not be exceedingly high but still has some value, especially if you have more than one coin. Before that, let’s introduce you to the grading system for the 1950 Pfennig coin. There are several grades that you should consider, and as the grades go up, so does the value of the coin.
The grades are as follows:
Good (G) – These coins have been in circulation since they were struck, passing a lot of customers and retailers as the years passed. The luster has worn off completely, there is visible damage to the coin, and much more. These coins aren’t as valuable unless you have many of them.
Very Good (VG) – These coins aren’t too valuable, but still value more than those rated with Good. These coins also have signs of wear and tear, with the oak tree looking completely faded, as well as other etchings on the coin, but less compared to the aforementioned grade.
Fine (F) – In these coins, we can see that some quality remained. The luster is slightly visible, and there is some premium value that can be visible on these coins. The appraiser will take a good look at the coin before they conclude whether this coin is Fine.
Very Fine (VF) – You’ll get a better value than others if you want to get this coin sold, as it shows fewer signs of wear and tear than the previous coin versions.
Extra Fine (XF) – These coins are some of the closest quality to the uncirculated coins. The lettering and design can be thoroughly felt through the fingers, with barely any scratches and visible luster. There are a lot of details in the coin, which is different compared to the previous versions of the coins.
Uncirculated (UNC) – These coins likely never left the mint, and haven’t been used on the market. They’re shiny, have visible details, and no tear or damage which is visible with other coins. This is the best quality coin and will be more valuable to collectors. These are also known as mint state coins.
Below is the value chart where you can see the values of the 1950 10 Fennig coin, struck in different mints in 1950.
| Type | Good | Very Good | Fine | Very Fine | Extra Fine | Uncirculated |
| 1950 D | $0.12 | $0.16 | $0.20 | $0.21 | $0.42 | $1.80 |
| 1950 F | $0.06 | $0.10 | $0.10 | $0.21 | $0.35 | $1.70 |
| 1950 G | $0.10 | $0.16 | $0.19 | $0.20 | $0.92 | $0.92 |
| 1950 J | $0.10 | $0.10 | $0.12 | $0.21 | $0.43 | $2.10 |
You can see that the coins that were struck in the mints that feature fewer coins in circulation are more valuable, but if your coin is tied to some special story or has an additional feature, it will be even more valuable.
One of those features is the error coins, which are more unique and authentic and collectors will value them more. Some error coins have a much higher value compared to the regularly circulated and mint-state uncirculated coins.
For example, this 1950 10 Pfennig was struck with uneven corners and etchings, which is caused by an error in printing and is set on eBay for $150. This coin that was struck 10% off center was sold for $105 over three years ago.
If you want to be sure that your coin is more valuable, you should take it for professional appraisal and grading, so you can be sure how much your coins value. Keep in mind that based on this table, the value of the coin varies from the place where it was struck.
Editor’s notes: These values change daily, so make sure to stray on track with sites like this one where you can change how the value changes daily.
Types of 10 Pfennig from 1950
There are a few types of German pfennig based on where they were struck. As you know, four mints struck the 10 Pfennig coins in 1950 until they no longer used Pfennig, fully integrating euros and cents. Below are the types of pfennig that you may find on auctions.
- 1950 10 Pfennig D – The Bavarian Central Mint in Munich struck these coins. You may notice that the coins that are in good, very good, fine, and extra fine condition are more valuable compared to some other types. At $1.80 uncirculated 10 pfennig struck in this mint is the second most valuable.
- 1950 10 Pfennig F – These coins were struck in the Stuttgart mint. Those of good quality are not so valuable, while the uncirculated options are the third most valuable. A lot of coins were struck in this mint.
- 1950 10 Pfennig G – The Karlsruhe mint struck these coins and they are among the least valuable for all options as a lot of them were in circulation, as opposed to the coins struck in other mints. Still, those with errors will prove to be quite valuable.
- 1950 10 Pfennig J – These coins were made in the Hamburg mint and although the heavily circulated coins as those rated as good, fine, and very fine may seem less valuable compared to others. The extra fine and uncirculated coins have the highest value.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re collecting 10 pfennig coins from 1950, this section will help you answer some arising questions you may have.
Where to Buy 10 Pfennig From 1950?
Many auction events may see some of these coins being sold. Antique stores may have them, while some collectors even share their collections online that they put up for sale. Your best bet however is the marketplaces such as eBay and Etsy where you can find many variations of the 10-pfennig coin.
Is 10 Pfennig From 1950 Worth Anything?
The 10 Pfennig from 1950 may not appear like it’s worth much if you’re selling a single unit. However, if you have a lot of them on you at the moment, chances are you’ll be able to get more money. Uncirculated coins and uncirculated coins with errors will come with the highest value.
