Token 35 – DSWA – German South West Africa – Hafen Hotel Swakopmund – 25 Pfennig Werth-Marke

Token 35 – DSWA – German South West Africa – Hafen Hotel Swakopmund – 25 Pfennig Werth-Marke

Original Werth-Marke 25 from the historic Hafen Hotel in Swakopmund, German South West Africa.

This attractive brass token bears “WERTH-MARKE 25”, with “Hafen Hotel Swakopmund” impressed into the design, while the reverse carries the denomination “25”. The specialist Opalka catalogue records the piece as a round brass token of approximately 24.3 mm.

Particularly interesting for collectors is that this was not an isolated issue. The Hafen Hotel Swakopmund produced a documented series of Werth-Marken in six denominations: 10, 25, 50, 75, 150 and 300. The 25 Pfennig therefore represents an important part of this wider hotel-token series and is especially attractive to collectors who enjoy assembling different denominations from the same historic establishment.

The Hafen Hotel Swakopmund links the token directly to one of the most important commercial and port centres of German South West Africa. Hotel Werth-Marken provide a fascinating glimpse into the everyday economic and hospitality life of the German colonial period.

For collectors of German South West Africa, Swakopmund, hotel tokens and German colonial exonumia, this is an excellent original piece. Its clearly identified hotel, distinctive Werth-Marke design and documented denomination series give it strong historical and collector appeal.

The 25 Pfennig denomination is particularly desirable as part of the complete Hafen Hotel series, alongside the 10, 50, 75, 150 and 300 denominations.

An important and highly collectible example of Swakopmund hotel exonumia, representing the private token currency of the Hafen Hotel and the commercial life of historic German South West Africa.