bavarikon4UDescription
Front (picture): Airship and tethered balloon over the festival grounds. Signature bottom left.
Front (legend): H. St.
Back (picture): Five lines of writing in garland over city coat of arms: Z II / 30. MAY 1909 / Z III / 27. AUG. 1909 / 2. SEPT. 1909. Writing on outside.
Back (legend): ZUM GEDAECHTNISS AN DIE NÜRNBERGER ZEPPELINTAGE - VOM VEREIN / FÜR MÜNZKUNDE NBG (IN MEMORY OF THE NUREMBERG ZEPPELIN DAYS - FROM THE ASSOCIATION / FOR COINAGE NBG).
Edge: 990
Edge (legend): Hallmark
Assembly of the first Zeppelin rigid airship, the prototype LZ 1, began in 1899 in a floating assembly hall on Lake Constance in the Bay of Manzell near Friedrichshafen. A long series of mishaps and misfortunes followed, but Count Zeppelin's vision (1838-1917) could ultimately be realised thanks to the Zeppelin donation by the German people in 1908. Besides the population's enthusiasm, the military's interest was crucial for the success of airships: the LZ 5, initially designed for civilian purposes, was taken over by the army and renamed Z II. Before Z II was stranded and destroyed in 1910, the airship flew over Nuremberg's old town on 30 May 1909. In the same year, the Zeppelin III coming from Friedrichshafen landed on 27 August and stayed until 2 September to carry out engine repairs for its onward journey to Berlin. An area south-east of the city around the large and small Dutzendteich pond, the later Zeppelin field, was used for this purpose. Z III was piloted by Count Zeppelin and chief engineer Dürr. Originally, a stopover in Nuremberg was also planned on the return journey but the airship only flew over the city in the afternoon.