The German Federal Republic’s Ministry of Finance — Munze Deutschland has launched their first €20 silver collector coin for 2022, which is part of their ongoing series dedicated to the children’s stories of the Brothers Grimm. Launched in 2012, the 200th anniversary of their first collection of folk tales entitled Kinder und Hausmärchen (“Children’s and Household Tales”), which was first published in 1812.
The numismatic collector series began as 10-euro coins and transitioned to €20 denominations in 2016. The latest story featured is that of Rumpelstiltskin, about an imp or mischievous mythological creature that spins straw into gold in exchange for a girl’s firstborn. The story begins with a miller’s daughter tasked with spinning gold out of straw for the king. Locked in a room with a spinning wheel, she is desperate to obey the king’s order, or she will lose her head. Having given up hope, the imp appears and agrees to spin gold from straw in exchange for the girl’s necklace. Again on the second day, more straw is brought in and the imp spins more straw into gold in exchange for her ring. On the third day, the imp spins more gold from straw in exchange but for a promise from the girl: Her firstborn.
Having married the king, the girl is revisited by the imp who comes to collect on her promise. Instead, she offers him all the wealth she has so she can keep her child, but the imp has no interest in her riches. However, he finally consents to give up his claim to the child if she can guess his name within three days. Her first and second guesses fail, but before the final night, she wanders into the woods searching for the imp but stumbles upon him and watches unseen, as he hops about his fire and sings. In his song’s lyrics, she hears:
Tonight, tonight, my plans I make, tomorrow, tomorrow the baby I take. The queen will never win the game, for Rumpelstiltskin is my name.
When the confident imp comes to the queen on the third day, feigning ignorance, she answers his riddle by saying “is your name Rumpelstiltskin?” Angered, the imp begins to stomp his foot, realising he has lost their bargain. His temper flares and stomping his foot so hard, he falls through the floor and is never heard from or seen ever again.
The collector coins are produced by the Hamburg State Mint and designed by artist Katrin Pannicke, who has included main elements of the story that includes the girl trying to spin gold out of straw. The central motif is the imp Rumplestiltskin, who holds a spool of gold thread in his left hand and a thread of gold in his right. A baby’s bassinet is seen to the right and is connected with the gold thread to the spinning wheel. The text RUMPELSTILZCHEN is placed along the upper-right half of the coin’s edge and the additional text GRIMMS MARCHEN is seen to the lower-right. The reverse side depicts a stylised eagle centred with the coins’ fineness of SILBER 925 placed below the eagle. The year 2022 and denomination of 20 EURO is shown above the eagle and the issuer BUNDESREPUBLIK DEUTSCHLAND is placed below along the edge. Between the eagle and text are 12 stars representing the European Union arranged in a circle.
Denom. |
Metal |
Weight | Diameter | Quality |
Maximum Mintage |
20 euro |
.925 Silver |
18 g. | 32.5 mm | Brilliant Unc. |
120,000 |
Five dollars |
.925 Silver |
18 g | 32.5 mm | Proof |
*N/A |
Available from the 20th January, the Brilliant Uncirculated pieces are available for their face value at leading commercial banks and post office counters. The Proof-quality collector’s edition is available by visiting the website of Munze Deutschland.
*Towards the end of the year, the entire €20 Proof-quality coin collection consisting of four 2022-dated pieces will be available as a set and presented in an official blister-pak type folder.
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