Token / coin ?

[Buffalo Hunter]

My son recently was given several WWII Nazi & German souvenirs from a WWII veterans estate. One piece has me really stumped in trying to ID it. It's a coin or token, about the size of a nickel, I believe it's made of steel. One side is German "GEBIET DES OBERBEFEHLSHABERS OST" according to one translation site means "Area of the Commander". The opposite side has the design of a Iron Cross which fills the face. Inside, top of the design, is the numeral 1 followed in Cyrillic "КОπѢÑоÐ" on the cross arm (the letters are all the same size on the disc) and the date 1916 at the bottom. Any idea of where I can find the story behind this piece? I'll be shooting pictures shortly.

 

[MIdigger]

Its a German 1 kopek coin used in occupied Russian areas During WW1. Values are all over the map seen them at $1 to $30.00. Interesting find. Got some 1870s German coins at the last flea mkt I went to. I havent seen your particular one before.

 

[Buffalo Hunter]

Thank you, here is a group shot of some of the small stuff he received. He was also given maybe a dozen pieces of currency which are from all over including denominations and age.

 

[Buffalo Hunter]

reverse sides
One of the items he received which threw me was a black combat badge, it threw me b/c the helmet didn't have a swastika. Turns out it was from WWI, my guess is it was the same owner as the coin.

 

[cyberdigger]

Nice coins.. that 'token' coin looks indeed like a 1 kopek coin issued during the occupation of parts of Poland/Russia..

 

[blobbottlebob]

Good job people (as usual). As correctly noted, the Russian on the black coin reads "1 kopek 1916". Neat little piece of history.

 

[MIdigger]

Looking your coins up in Whitmans Modern world coins 1850-1964 shows that your 5 and 10 pfennings are worth about 2-2.50 each and the Von Hindenburgs are worth about 10-12 each, (I also have some `36s of this issue) they are listed as a silver content coin, but Ive no idea what the silver content of the coins are as nothing is in the book on that. Hope that helps a bit.

 

[surfaceone]

Hello Senor Buffalo Hunter,

Glad to see you with a pocket full of strange stuff. I'm a total dolt on coinage and WW II memorabilia, but I notice that the coinage does no justice to von Hindenburg's moustaches...

 

[Buffalo Hunter]

Yeah I have to admitt I was a little jealous of my son's finds and like you I have not a real clue about such items. Thank goodness for the internet! Heck until I saw the coins I always thought of Hinderburg as....

 

[cyberdigger]

I believe they both weighed about the same.. depending on varying levels of gassiness..