Token Germany (Frankfurt) Judenpfennig Jewish Penny 1819

There was a shortage of small denomination coinage in the Rhine area of Germany during the early 1800s. Enterprising merchants, especially Jewish ones, took matters into there own hands and started making coins, and Judenpfennig, or 'Jewish pennies,' were born. The sample in our image is one of several patterns.

There is nothing unusual about private manufacture of coinage during shortages of government-issued currency. It has happened in many different countries around the world. Judenpfennig are avidly sought by collectors, as are notgeld from 20th century Germany, Conder tokens from England, and Hard Times tokens from America.

The values on this page apply to judenpfennig that look like the picture.

worn: $2 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $15
well preserved: $30
fully uncirculated: $60

These catalog values apply judenpfennig that are free of problems like cleaning, spots, stains, scratches, nicks, and the like. To learn about catalog values, read our Important Terminology page.
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