Question- why do these German FPEs have a trip coil but not the British versions?
Probably because the VDE regs. required it, so they couldn't get away without it. These MCBs were quite specifically built to German standards, including the trip curves H (household, very sensitive magnetic trip, 3*In, for TN-C supplies), L (lighting, magnetic trip similar to modern B), both with fairly slow thermal trip, and G (sensitive thermal trip, very slow magnetic trip, for large motors).
