Metal discs which are minted by order of the State and are used, or have been used, as legal tender. In the Federal republic of Germany, the coinage prerogative, that is the right to mint and issue coins, is held by the Federal Government (Article 73 of the Constitution). In principle, there is a difference between face-value coins and secondary coins. While the nominal value of face-value coins corresponds to the value of the metal, secondary coins are coins minted below value.