Ostalgie Set

Ostalgie Set: Ten Mintings That Tell the Story from the Fall of the Wall to Reunification

A Trabi stuck in a queue at the border, 100 D-Mark welcome money in hand, tears of joy in the streets of Berlin. Anyone who experienced 1989 and 1990 still carries these images today. The Ostalgie Set captures them in precious metal: eight rectangular mintings in gold trace the path to German Unity step by step. Two one-ounce mintings in silver in Proof quality build a bridge between East and West. A set for collectors, for contemporary witnesses, and for anyone who would rather hold history in their hands than read about it in a textbook.

What's Included in the Set

Eight Gold Coins in a Film-Strip Design

Each of the eight gold coins contains 1/1000 ounce of fine gold with a fineness of 999/1,000. They are issued by the Republic of Chad with a face value of 3,000 CFA francs. The reverse bears the national coat of arms with a goat, a lion, and the motto "Unité · Travail · Progrès". On the obverse, a film-strip border beneath the inscription "Deutsche Einheit" frames an individual design on each coin:

1. Welcome Money: historic D-Mark banknotes issued by the Bundesbank, symbolizing the first visits to the West.
2. Freedom to Travel: Trabis and cheering crowds at the opened border after 9 November 1989.
3. Currency Union: commemorating 1 July 1990, when the D-Mark became the official currency in the GDR.
4. Signing of the Unification Treaty: the treaty was signed on 31 August 1990 in Berlin.
5. Two-Plus-Four Treaty: a map of Germany and the flags of the treaty partners. The treaty was signed on 12 September 1990 in Moscow.
6. First All-German Parliamentary Election: the 12th German Bundestag with 662 seats, elected on 2 December 1990.
7. Capital Berlin: a city map and the Berlin bear. The Unification Treaty had already established Berlin as the capital.
8. 35 Years of German Unity: celebrating crowds and the date on which it all came together, 3 October 1990.

Each gold minting is protected in a capsule and presented in its own dark case.

Two Ounces of Silver: East Meets West

The 1 oz Silver GDR Mark 2025 takes up the familiar design of the old circulation coin. A large "1" stands in the center between two oak branches, with the inscription "DDR Mark" below. Struck in 999.9/1,000 fine silver, the coin measures 40 mm in diameter. It is official legal tender of Liberia with a face value of 20 dollars and was produced for Kettner Edelmetalle in Germany.

Its western counterpart is the 1 oz Silver Brandenburg Gate. This silver medal from Kettner Edelmetalle has a fineness of 999.9/1,000 and likewise measures 40 mm in diameter. Its design recalls the popular 1-DM coin of the Federal Republic of Germany, with the reverse showing the eagle within a wreath of oak leaves. Both silver mintings are limited to 5,000 pieces each. They were struck in the highest quality grade, Proof: the mirrored background and frosted relief create a depth effect that cannot be achieved with Brilliant Uncirculated (BU) quality.

Technical Specifications at a Glance

• Scope: 10 mintings (8 × gold, 2 × silver)
• Gold: 8 × 1/1000 oz, fineness 999/1,000, Republic of Chad, 3,000 CFA francs
• Silver: 2 × 1 oz (31.1 g each), Proof, mintage of 5,000 pieces each
• Total gross weight: 62.47 g
• Total fine weight: 62.44 g
• Investment purpose: collector's product

A Set Instead of a Single Piece: The Entire Chronicle in One Collection

Individual commemorative coins usually capture only a single moment. This set, by contrast, shows the full course of events. From the first welcome money to the anniversary, a coherent narrative unfolds, with its chapters lined up in the correct order. Added to this are two silver ounces that, with their GDR Mark and D-Mark designs, juxtapose the two currency worlds. A more fitting collection on this chapter of German contemporary history is rarely found.

Why Precious Metal Preserves Memories

The GDR's Mark is history, as is the D-Mark. Gold, on the other hand, was already a benchmark for trade in ancient Egypt and has been a proven store of value for over 6,000 years. As the oldest currency in the world, it has outlived every paper currency. Gold has intrinsic value, has never been worth zero, and is traded worldwide. It's no wonder that central banks in particular are among the largest holders of gold in the world.

Currencies come and go. Precious metal remains – and with it, the history stamped upon it.

Many people value physical precious metals as an inflation hedge and as crisis protection in politically and economically turbulent times. Gold is considered the big brother of its smaller sibling silver, and this set unites both. Good to know: in Germany, profits from the sale of physical precious metals are generally tax-free after a holding period of at least one year.

Who Is the Ostalgie Set Suitable For?

Anyone looking primarily to build up fine gold by weight is better served by larger gold coins or bars. The strengths of the Ostalgie Set lie elsewhere: it combines genuine fine gold with two strictly limited silver ounces in collector's quality. It thus complements any collection that already includes silver coins. It is particularly well suited

• as a gift for contemporary witnesses, for example on German Unity Day, a birthday, or retirement,
• as an entry point into a collection on German contemporary history,
• as a family heirloom, through which children and grandchildren learn about the fall of the Wall and reunification,
• for enthusiasts of Mark, Pfennig, and banknote designs who want to extend their collection into precious metal.

Bring home the most moving months of German history, struck in gold and silver and ready for the next generation.