The Art

In 1913 Karl Goetz designed his first patterns. He Made two sets,one depicting Emperor Wilhelm II (K-76), on its obverse side, and the other set showing King Ludwig of Bavaria (K-77), also on the obverse side. The reverses for both sets are identical. The sets were to be made in values of 2, 3, 5, 10 and 20 Mark pieces. The metals used were either bronze, bronze-copper, copper, silver plated copper, silver, and gold (only five sets struck for each in silver or gold).

Goetz also made a pattern of a 1 Krone piece for Austria (K-79) showing Emperor Franz Joseph on the obverse, and a nude man with a sword in his hand fighting a snake, on the reverse.  None of these patterns were accepted as designs for regular currencies.  In the case of the Emperor Wilhelm II and King Ludwig patterns, the outbreak of World War I and its outcome determined the fate of these pieces. They were discarded when the rulers were deposed.

During the Weimar Republic many new coins were adopted by theState mints. Designs were obtained from freelancing artists, and from those artists employed by the mints, through the medium of competition. Goetz took part in contests held by the mint during the years 1925 and 1926. In 1925 he made patterns for opus 352 which he calls Reichs-munzproben Germania (Federal mint patterns "Germania"). These patterns came in values of 2, 3, and 5 Marks, and were manufactured in both thick and thin planchets. Two different designs are known: the Germania, or as it is sometimes called, Deutsches Mädchen design, depicting a girl with flowing hair; and the other design with the hair falling on "Germania's" shoulders. In addition to basic differences there also are different designs of inscription: one type shows the inscription on the obverse in a circular legend, DEUTSCHES REICH 1925, while the other type omits the date from the inscription placing it In the field to the right of the neck of "Germania," who looks toward the left. The reverses accordingly show, for the first type, 5 REICHSMARK, while the other type reads: FÜNF-D-MARK.

In 1926 Goetz made still more coin patterns which he again called Germania . In these, however, the girl wears a more ornate dress. In the same year he designed another set of patterns with the title, "The Industry and Commerce" using such symbols of commerce as a merchantship, and a nude man holding a hammer and a cornucopia in his hands.The Germania and also the Industry and Commerce set came in four values, the 1, 2, 3 and 5 Mark pieces appearing in each set. The 1925 patterns show the mint mark, D, on all pattern coins, and also the signature, K. Goetz, while the 1926 coins show only the mint mark, D.

Patterns of the year 1913 are shown in Jaeger's Die DeutschenReidisndinzen seit 1871 as numbers P 22 on page 184 of the 5th edition.The other patterns are not listed. Goetz also made patterns for Bavarian coins in 1925, along with four designed for 50 Pfennig pieces in the same year. (Pictures of these were not available.)

Goetz did not confine his activity to German coins alone. He also created coin patterns for Poland and for Venezuela. The Polish patterns were of the 2 Zlote and the 5 Zlotych variety, made in 1928, they show the Madonna and the Christ Child facing, in typical Polish style. These pieces were patterns for an unpublished silver coin, and the dies were tried out in gold and platinum a few times. The patterns also exist in silver. A coin of these patterns, in any of the metals, is considered extremely rare.

On the obverse of the Venezuela 5 Bolivares pattern, dictator General Juan V. Gomez faces forward, his bearing more that of a German general than of a South American. These patterns, made in silver, gold and platinum, are now extremely rare, for the pattern was never adopted for coinage.  According to Mr. Bob Berman's theory, these pieces were struck for the dictator as give-away mementos to important visitors and other statesmen.

The year 1926, found Karl Goetz contributing two varieties of patterns (K-358) for the Federal Ministry of Agriculture. Then in 1928 a 5 Mark Hindenburg pattern, with a 36 mm diameter, was designed. The same subject, the head of the President of the Republic, Paul von Hindenburg, was also used on patterns for the 10 and 20 Mark gold pieces (K-415 and 416.) These last patterns were struck in gold, and not merely gold plated as had been the case in some of the 1913 patterns. The 10 Mark piece had a diameter of 19.5 mm while the 20 Mark piece measured 22.5 mm in diameter.

The last known coin patterns designed by the artist came toward the end of his career. Goetz made three patterns under the title Patrona Bavariae (Patroness of Bavaria) in 1949.