Twenty Marks 1895, Coin from New Guinea, German - detailed information

The German New Guinea Company issued its own coinage in 1894 and it remained legal tender until 15 April 1911, when it was replaced by regular German imperial coinage. A twenty mark coin issued in 1895 would therefore have been in circulation for 16 years.

This colonial coin corresponded exactly in size and composition to its German imperial twenty mark counterpart.

It was designed by Berlin Mint designers Emil Weigand (reverse) and Otto Schultz (bird of paradise obverse). Strictly speaking, the side with the bird should be considered the reverse, since the issuing authority is on the other side; however, it is usually listed as the obverse in most sources.