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German Coin Found In King Tiger Tank



A £1m fundraising effort by The Tank Museum to restore the oldest surviving King Tiger in existence was boosted when a WWII German coin was discovered inside it.


Apprentice Vehicle Technician James Trevett was helping strip-down the historic and unique German machine when he discovered the 5 Reichspfennig coin. It is likely that a German engineer working on the tank in 1943 dropped it and it remained there until now.


Worth the equivalent of a UK penny, the coin was cast in 1941 from Zinc due to wartime shortages and it displays the Nazi eagle and swastika on one side with the denomination with oak leaves on the reverse.


It was one of a number of items discovered in the tank – King Tiger V2 – during the process to take it apart.


The tank was the second of 492 King Tigers built, hence its name V2, the V short for ‘Versuchs’, meaning ‘experimental’ or ‘trial’.


The Tank Museum in Bovington, Dorset, has had the tank since the post-war years and it was decided to restore it to working condition, a project set to cost £1m, with around half the amount raised. It is the only surviving King Tiger to have been fitted with the pre-production turret, which was designed by Porsche.

V2 was built in December 1943 and spent its entire service life at the Henschel testing facility in Germany.

When this was overrun by Allied forces, V2 was found fully stowed and ready to fight – although it is not believed that it ever fired a shot in anger.


The Museum’s Director of Marketing and Engagement, Nik Wyness, said:

“While the coin discovered is worth only a few pounds, it is a wonderful, evocative item that is itself part of the history of this vehicle and the story it tells."

“It was possibly dropped by an engineer or by a German testing the tank – we will never know for sure.

“We already have the world’s only working Tiger I – called 131 – and to also have an operational King Tiger to join it would be truly unique."


“Donors to the fund have been extremely generous and it has allowed us to begin the project and strip down the tank. We are removing all the parts and inspecting them to see what needs replacing, fixing or reverse engineering. And it was during this process that the coin was found underneath the left-hand fuel tank, which is below the turret."

“We also uncovered a brick, broken hoses, tools and a piece of paper that might contain a wiring diagram. The project is being led by our Workshop Team, supported by a range of carefully selected partners from across Europe."


“We’ll use the project as a springboard for further research, to develop new skills and train the next generation of heritage engineers – using external experts to guide us where necessary.”


Design work on King Tiger – or Tiger II aka ‘Konigstiger’ – began in 1942 and they were first used during the Normandy campaign in 1944 and were the most powerful tanks on the battlefield.


The Musée des Blindés in France also have an operational King Tiger tank, and it visited the Museum’s TANKFEST 2025 to run alongside The Tank Museum’s Tiger I.


To donate to the restoration project visit tankmuseum.org/ktv2. To watch the restoration journey, visit The Tank Museum Workshop YouTube channel here.

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Harlequins have confirmed wing Louis Lynagh will depart the Club at the end of the season to pursue his international aspirations in Italy.


The Academy product, who joined Quins at U13 level and since achieved 27 tries in 58 senior appearances, will join URC side Benetton Rugby ahead of the 2024/25 season.


Lynagh made his senior debut in 2019 and enjoyed his breakout season in 2020/21, making 11 appearances and scoring six tries. The wing touched down in the Semi-Final against Bristol Bears, before scoring twice in the Final to guide Quins to the Gallagher Premiership title.


Harlequins Director of Rugby Billy Millard said:

“Louis has been a pleasure to work with and we have been proud to see him develop from our Academy to the first-team squad. He has certainly had some great moments in his short career to date and is a popular figure across the Club."

"His 2020/21 season in particular showcased his ability and try-scoring strength. We’re excited to watch his career develop further at Benetton and potentially for Italy. We wish him the very best as he seeks to build his career in Italy.”


Speaking ahead of his departure, Lynagh added:

“It’s been a difficult decision to leave my boyhood club, but I feel the time is right for a new challenge in Italy. I have loved my time at Quins and made lifelong friends, working with some of the best players, coaches, and staff, and achieving the ultimate Premiership success in 2021. I would like to thank all the Quins fans who have supported me over my career, it’s been amazing to play in front of a packed Stoop every week, and I can’t wait for a massive finish to our season.”


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