These cups made in the German Democratic Republic(East Germany) before the change the gold leaf was not in line with the ideal of Communism and may  have been for export to get hard currency maybe to buy wheat. All sorts of things worked for the end of that era including a West German landing his Piper Cub in Red Square and surviving. Kudos to all those that have courage to try things; many are never accoladed but when they attempt things in a non reckless way they are just as deserving as those that succeed .

Today in History, November 5 ,1895

 George B. Selden  the first U.S. patent for an automobile .