This pewter coal mine "Zeche Zollverein" is a limited edition piece, made to join a limited edition pewter set that are copies of the plastic pieces contained in the special release game "Catan Geographies: Deutschland."
Just 500 pewter sets of the 12 tokens and robber were made and they were sold through the German Catan shop. I am unsure how many "Zeche Zollverein" were made, but estimates I have read vary from as few as 50 up to 200.
The coal mine was added to the game as a result of an event at "SPIEL Essen" in 2008, between players from Düsseldorf and Essen. Neither of the two cities appear on the original game board so a competition was held to decide which City would have a landmark made that could replace the Cologne Cathedral token. The token also came with two stickers that can be placed on the board to show the location.
Mayfair Games ordered this game and released the English version as Catan Geographies: Germany. They did not have pewter pieces made for the USA market.
Article from Catan News 2009
Translation
Germany in Tin
For a promotional tour for the German edition of "The Settlers of Catan" at the end of last year, KOSMOS Publishing had the game's 12 landmarks, as well as Götz von Berlichingen, cast in tin. A total of 500 sets, each with 13 finely textured and patinated tin figures, were produced. The size of the figures corresponds to the size of the plastic figures included in the game.
On October 26, 2008, 40 players competed at the Essen Games Fair to fight for either Essen or Düsseldorf and win their city's landmark as a small expansion for the German edition of Settlers of Catan. Essen won, and so Cologne Cathedral had to make way for the Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex.
Across all of Germany? No, of course, only for the lucky ones who represented the winning city and won the small Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex expansion. This contains a tin miniature of the mine and two stickers that can be used to update the German edition's game board.
For those who prefer to settle Germany with high-quality tin figures, the Catan Shop has received a small contingent of the tin figure sets and the small mine expansion and is shipping them while supplies last.
The wooden figures of the "Viking Edition," which we reported on in Catan News 2008, have also been available there since the end of last year.
The Treasures In some scenarios (Treasure Island, The Oases), not only islands but also treasures are hidden in the fog. To retrieve a treasure, you must reach the intersection with the treasure with one of your ships or a road (depending on the scenario). Whoever finds a treasure is rewarded with gold (two selectable additional resources), may build additional roads or ships, or finds a development card. Catan