Lot 284
German East Africa, SMS Königsberg, brass 200 Pfennig
British, Ancient & World Coins - Auction 131 | C26005
Auction: 22 July 2026 10.30 BST
Description
German East Africa, SMS Königsberg, brass 200 Pfennig, undated (c. 1914), 30 mm, 5.54g (Schimmel 1200; Ford 296). Good Very Fine, scarce.
The original light cruiser Königsberg was disabled in the Rufiji delta, off Mafia Island, East Africa, 1915; these tokens are generally ascribed to that vessel, rather than to the replacement light cruiser of the same name which served in the German fleet from August 1916 to November 1918. In April 1914, Königsberg was sent on what was to have been a two‑year deployment to German East Africa, but this was interrupted by the outbreak of World War I in August of that year. Königsberg initially attempted to raid British and French commercial traffic in the region but only destroyed one merchant ship in the course of her career. Coal shortages hampered her ability to attack shipping. On 20 September 1914, she surprised and sank the British protected cruiser HMS Pegasus in the Battle of Zanzibar.
Königsberg then retreated into the Rufiji River to repair her engines. Before the repairs could be completed, British cruisers located her ‑ but, unable to steam into the river to destroy her, set up a blockade. After several attempts to sink the ship during the Battle of Rufiji Delta, the British sent two monitors, Mersey and Severn, to destroy the German cruiser. On 11 July 1915, the two monitors got close enough to severely damage Königsberg, forcing her crew to scuttle the ship. The surviving crew salvaged all ten of her main guns and joined Lieutenant Colonel Paul von Lettow‑Vorbeck's guerrilla campaign in East Africa. Königsberg was partially broken up in 1963–1965 for scrap, and the remains sank into the riverbed.
