Numismatischer Arbeitskreis Brandenburg/Preußen

written by Lutz Fahron

The Numismatischer Arbeitskreis Brandenburg/Preußen (Working Committee for Brandenburg and Prussian Numismatics) is a permanent community of interest that brings together scholars and laypersons. It aims to tackle specialist issues and tasks in numismatics (as well as monetary history, notafilia, the study of medals, marks and signs) and related disciplines (such as faleristics or heraldry) relating to the historical and political connection of Brandenburg/Prussia. The working committee was founded on 1 June 1985 on the initiative of Dr. Gerrit Friese from Eberswalde and joined the Numismatische Gesellschaft zu Berlin (NGB) as an umbrella organisation in 2018. However, membership of the NGB is not compulsory for collectors who are interested in cooperation and participation in the working committee. It achieves its goals through two main areas of work, the publication of a yearbook and regular meetings of collectors.

The bi-annual excursions have become indispensable for the cohesion of the working committee and the exchange of ideas. In May 2024, our 72nd excursion was a trip to Bielefeld! We usually choose regional destinations that are rooted in the history of Brandenburg while also being committed to numismatics in the broadest sense. An interesting, wide-ranging programme of lectures by local collectors or specialists is a must, and the supporting programme always includes first-class sights that are shown and explained in detail. We have visited destinations in all regions of Brandenburg, such as the Alt- and Uckermark, the Prignitz, the Kurmark, the Neumark and so on. Our interesting excursions have also taken us to Lower Silesia, Western Pomerania, Mecklenburg and Saxony. Of course, there is no lack of professional exchange in a pleasant atmosphere. Information on these events is regularly published in print media such as “Münzen & Sammeln” published by Gietl-Verlag, online at CoinsWeekly and on the homepage of the Berlin Numismatic Society mentioned above or on the website of the German Numismatic Society.

The academic aspect of our work deserves special mention. For example, the numismatic analysis of coin finds from the region was carried out by friends of the working committee. These included the 2,000 Saxon high-margin pfennigs from Lebus Castle Hill and a coin find from the Uckermark, as well as the more than 1,500 Brandenburg denarii from other sites, which were the subject of lengthy work.

The yearbook “Beiträge zur Brandenburgisch/Preußischen Numismatik” (Contributions to Brandenburg/Preussian Coinage) is a focal point of the working committee’s public relations work and was presented as its first own publication in the spring of 1990 with Numismatische Heft Nr. 64. The yearbook has been published regularly since 1995. With a total of almost 500 articles by some 95 authors in 31 Numismatische Hefte (NH), it is difficult for me to single out individual contributions. NH 7/1999 accompanied the 7th Central German Coin Collectors’ Meeting in Potsdam from 4 to 6 June 1999 organised by the working committee. A highlight are certainly the issues that have become reference works. For example, NH 6/1998, in which Lothar Tewes catalogued “Die brandenburgischen Helmhohlpfennige von 1369 bis 1508” or NH 25/2016 with Manfred Olding’s “Die Jetons, Rechenpfennige und Spielmarken mit den Porträts der Köge Friedrich II. bis Wilhelm I. von Preußen”. In the same issue, Elke Bannicke and Lothar Tewes presented the impressive overview “Vom Speziesvierteltaler zum Ephraimiten – Versuch einer Chronologie der sächsisch-polnisch-preußischen Achtgroschenmünzen von 1753 bis 1763”. In an extensive series of 14 articles, Gisela and Hermann Malchow published their findings on the “Prussian Official Marks” (Preußische Amtszeichen). Many numismatic personalities are also regularly featured, such as the dealer Prof. Carl Fieweger (NH 25/2017 and 26/2018), the collectors Jules Fonrobert (NH 29/2021) and Carl von Kühlewein (NH 31/2023), and the scholar Prof. Arthur Suhle (NH 31/2023).

Our issues cover a wide range of topics and include many articles on the history of money as well as articles on ancient coins, medieval topics and regional issues. We also deal with medal issues, faleristic and heraldic topics – from A to Z, the results of our collectors’ work are published here. Among the authors are representatives of the major coin cabinets in Berlin, Gotha, Halle, Munich and Schwerin, as well as employees of major archives, museums and coin dealers. Professor Dr. Bernd Kluge, director of the Berlin Numismatic Collection until 2014, wrote in his foreword to the 25th NH: “It is quite unprecedented in Germany that a group of like-minded people, who only meet every six months for a weekend excursion, has developed into such a reliable tree in the colourful forest of numismatic association publications, and it is the generation of the founding members that still supports the working group and still leads Brandenburg-Prussia numismatically”.

A nice proof of the general recognition of our numismatic magazine is the frequent acceptance of articles by other authors. For those interested, the issues can be found in the online catalogue at Münzhandel Manfred Olding www.manfred-olding.de.