This is an authentic 1917 German 50 Pfennig emergency coin, known as Kriegsgeld, issued by the city of Solingen in the Rhine Province during World War I. The obverse features a pearl rim and a detailed central depiction of a lion's head representing the historic coat of arms of the region, surrounded by the German lettering STADT SOLINGEN • KRIEGSGELD • 1917 •. The reverse also displays a pearl rim and the lettering • GUT FÜR • FÜNFZIG PFENNIGE. along with the denomination numbers 5 and 0 divided by a prominent downward-pointing sword. Solingen has been internationally renowned since the Middle Ages as the "City of Blades" for its superior sword and cutlery manufacturing, a proud local heritage perfectly symbolized by the weapon on this necessity coin. Due to severe wartime metal shortages, this official emergency coinage was minted in iron by the L. Chr. Lauer Mint in Nuremberg and features a plain edge. The dimensions of this historic round token are 23.4 mm in diameter and it has a weight of 3.3 grams, cataloged under reference Funck 508.2.