The
Deutsche Mark or German mark was the official
currencyIn economics, the term currency can refer either to a particular currency, for example the US dollar, or to the coins and banknotes of a particular currency, which comprise the physical aspects of a nation's money supply...
of
West GermanyWest Germany is a common English name for the period of the Federal Republic of Germany between its' formation in May 1949 to German reunification in October 1990, when the German Democratic Republic was dissolved and the five states on its territory joined the Federal Republic of Germany,...
and, from 1990 until the adoption of the
euroThe euro is the official currency of 16 of the 27 Member States of the European Union . The states, known collectively as the Eurozone, are Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain...
, all of unified
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
. It was first issued under
Allied occupationThe Bizone, or Bizonia, was the combination of the American and the British occupation zones during the occupation of Germany after World War II. With the addition of the French occupation zone, the entity became the Trizone or Trizonia...
in 1948 replacing the
ReichsmarkThe Reichsmark was the currency in Germany from 1924 until June 20, 1948. The Reichsmark was subdivided into 100 Reichspfennig.-History:...
, and served as the
Federal Republic of GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
's official currency from its founding the following year until 1999, when the Mark was replaced by the
euroThe euro is the official currency of 16 of the 27 Member States of the European Union . The states, known collectively as the Eurozone, are Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain...
; its
coinA coin is a piece of hard material, usually metal or a metallic material and sometimes made of synthetic materials, usually in the shape of a disc, and most often issued by a government. Coins are used as a form of money in transactions of various kinds, from the everyday circulation coins to the...
s &
banknoteA banknote is a kind of negotiable instrument, a promissory note made by a bank payable to the bearer on demand, used as money, and in many jurisdictions is legal tender. Along with coins, banknotes make up the cash or bearer forms of all modern money...
s remained in circulation, defined in terms of euros, until the introduction of euro notes & coins in early 2002. The Deutsche Mark ceased to be
legal tenderLegal tender or forced tender is an offered payment that, by law, cannot be refused in settlement of a debt, and have the debt remain in force....
immediately upon the introduction of the euro—in contrast to the other
eurozoneThe eurozone is an economic and monetary union of 16 European Union member states which have adopted the euro currency as their sole legal tender. It currently consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal,...
nations, where the euro & legacy currency circulated side by side for up to 2 months. However, DM coins & banknotes continued to be accepted as valid forms of payment in Germany until 28 February 2002.
The
Deutsche BundesbankThe Deutsche Bundesbank is the central bank of the Federal Republic of Germany and as such part of the European System of Central Banks . Due to its strength and former size, the Bundesbank is the most influential member of the ESCB. Both the Deutsche Bundesbank and the European Central Bank are...
has guaranteed that all DM in cash form may be changed into euros indefinitely, and one may do so at any branch of the Bundesbank in Germany. Bank notes can even be sent to the bank by mail.
On 31 December 1998, the
European Central BankThe European Central Bank is one of the world's most important central banks, responsible for monetary policy covering the 16 member States of the Eurozone. It was established by the European Union in 1998 with its headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany.-History:Technically the predecessor to the ECB...
(ECB) fixed the irrevocable exchange rate, effective 1 January 1999, for DM to
euroThe euro is the official currency of 16 of the 27 Member States of the European Union . The states, known collectively as the Eurozone, are Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain...
as DM 1.95583 = one euro.
One Deutsche Mark was divided into 100
PfennigThe Pfennig is an old German coin or note, which existed from the 9th century until the introduction of the euro in 2002....
.
Before 1871
A Mark had been the currency of Germany since its
original unificationThe formal unification of Germany into a politically and administratively integrated nation state officially occurred on 18 January 1871 at the Versailles Palace's Hall of Mirrors in France. Princes of the German states gathered there to proclaim Wilhelm of Prussia as Emperor Wilhelm of...
in 1871. Before that time, the different German states issued a variety of different currencies, though most were linked to the
VereinsthalerThe Vereinsthaler was a standard silver coin used in most German states and the Austrian Empire in the years prior to German unification.- Introduction :...
, a silver coin containing 16 2/3
gramThe gram , ; symbol g, is a unit of mass.Originally defined as "the absolute weight of a volume of pure water equal to the cube of the hundredth part of a metre, and at the temperature of melting ice" , a gram is now defined as one one-thousandth of the SI base unit, the kilogram, or...
s of pure silver. Although the Mark was based on gold rather than silver, a fixed exchange rate between the Vereinsthaler and the Mark of 3 Mark = 1 Vereinsthaler was used for the conversion.
1873–1948
The first Mark, known as the
GoldmarkThe Goldmark is the name used for the currency of the German Empire from 1873 to 1914.-History:Before unification, the different German states issued a variety of different currencies, though most were linked to the Vereinsthaler, a silver coin containing 16⅔ grams of pure silver...
, was introduced in 1873. With the outbreak of the
World War IWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
, the Mark was taken off the gold standard. The currency thus became known as the
PapiermarkThe name Papiermark is applied to the German currency from the point in 1914 when the link between the Mark and gold was abandoned, due to the outbreak of the First World War...
, especially as high
inflationIn economics, inflation is a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services in an economy over a period of time.When the price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services; consequently, inflation is also an erosion in the purchasing power of money – a loss of real...
, then hyperinflation occurred and the currency became exclusively made up of paper money. The
Papiermark was replaced by the
RentenmarkThe Rentenmark was a currency issued on 15 November 1923 to stop the hyperinflation of 1922 and 1923 in Germany. It was subdivided into 100 Rentenpfennig.-History:...
in late 1923 and the
ReichsmarkThe Reichsmark was the currency in Germany from 1924 until June 20, 1948. The Reichsmark was subdivided into 100 Reichspfennig.-History:...
(RM) in 1924.
Currency reform of June 1948
The Deutsche Mark was introduced on 21 June 1948 by the
Western AlliesThe term Western Allies refers to a certain political and geographic grouping among the Allied Powers of the Second World War. It generally includes the United Kingdom and British Commonwealth, the United States, France and various other European and Latin American countries, but excludes China,...
(the USA, the United Kingdom and France). The old Reichsmark and Rentenmark were exchanged for the new currency at a rate of 1 DM = 1 RM for the essential currency such as wages, payment of rents etc, and 1 DM = 10 RM for the remainder in private non banks credit balance, with half frozen. Large amounts were exchanged for 10RM to 65 pfennigs. In addition, each person received a per capita allowance of 60 DM in two parts, the first being 40 DM and the second 20 DM.
The introduction of the new currency was intended to protect western Germany from a second wave of
hyperinflationIn economics, hyperinflation is inflation that is very high or "out of control", a condition in which prices increase rapidly as a currency loses its value....
and to stop the rampant barter and black market trade (where American cigarettes acted as currency). Although the new currency was initially only distributed in the three western occupation zones outside Berlin, the move angered the Soviet authorities, who regarded it as a threat. The Soviets promptly cut off all
roadA road is an identifiable route, way or path between places.
,
railRail transport is the conveyance of passengers and goods by means of wheeled vehicles running along railways or railroads. Rail transport is part of the logistics chain, which facilitates international trade and economic growth...
and
canalCanals are artificial channels for water. There are two types of canal: aqueduct canals are used for the conveyance and delivery of water, and waterway canals are navigable transportation canals used for passage of goods and people, often connected to existing lakes, rivers, or oceans.The word...
links between the three western zones and West Berlin – starting the
Berlin Blockade||-|}The Berlin Blockade was one of the first major international crises of the Cold War and the first such crisis that resulted in casualties. During the multinational occupation of post-World War II Germany, the Soviet Union blocked the Western Allies' railway and road access to the sectors of...
. In response the United States distributed the new currency in
West BerlinWest Berlin was the name given to the western part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990. It consisted of the American, British, and French occupation sectors established in 1945. It was in many ways integrated with, although legally not a part of, West Germany...
as well.
Currency reform in the Soviet occupation zone
In the
Soviet occupation zoneThe Soviet Occupation Zone was the area of central Germany occupied by the Soviet Union from 1945 on, at the end of World War II...
of Germany (later the
German Democratic RepublicThe German Democratic Republic was a Communist state that originated from the Soviet Zone of occupied Germany and the Soviet sector of occupied Berlin...
), the
East German MarkThe East German mark commonly called the eastern mark , in East Germany only Mark, was the currency of the German Democratic Republic . Its ISO 4217 currency code was DDM...
(also named "Deutsche Mark" from 1948-1964) was introduced a few days afterwards in the form of Reichsmark and Rentenmark notes with adhesive stamps to stop the flooding in of Reichsmark and Rentenmark notes from the West. In July 1948, a completely new series of East German Mark banknotes were issued.
Bank deutscher Länder and the Deutsche Bundesbank
Later in 1948, the
Bank deutscher LänderThe Bank deutscher Länder , abbreviation BdL, was the forerunner of the Deutsche Bundesbank. It was founded on 1 March 1948....
assumed responsibility, followed in 1957 by the
Deutsche BundesbankThe Deutsche Bundesbank is the central bank of the Federal Republic of Germany and as such part of the European System of Central Banks . Due to its strength and former size, the Bundesbank is the most influential member of the ESCB. Both the Deutsche Bundesbank and the European Central Bank are...
. The DM earned a reputation as a strong
store of valueTo act as a store of value, a commodity, a form of money, or financial capital must be able to be reliably saved, stored, and retrieved - and be predictably useful when it is so retrieved....
at times when other national currencies succumbed to periods of
inflationIn economics, inflation is a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services in an economy over a period of time.When the price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services; consequently, inflation is also an erosion in the purchasing power of money – a loss of real...
. It became a source of national pride and an anchor for the country's economic prosperity, particularly during the years of the
WirtschaftswunderThe term describes the rapid reconstruction and development of the economies of West Germany and Austria after World War II. The expression was used by The Times in 1950...
in the 1950s. In the 1990s, opinion polls showed a majority of Germans opposed to the adoption of the euro; polls today show a significant number would prefer to return to the Mark.
Currency Union with the Saarland
The population in the
Saar ProtectorateThe Saar Protectorate was a German borderland territory twice temporarily made a protectorate state. Since rejoining Germany in 1957, it is the smallest Federal German Area State , the Saarland...
decided in a referendum to join the Federal Republic. Thus the incorporation of the Saar into the Federal Republic of Germany was stipulated by the latter and France, the Protector force, for January 1, 1957. The new German member state of the
SaarlandSaarland is one of the 16 federal states of Germany. The capital is Saarbrücken. It has an area of 2570 km² and 1,045,000 inhabitants. In both area and population, it is the smallest of the German Flächenländer , i.e., those that are not city-states...
maintained its currency, the
Saar FrancThe franc or Frank was the currency of Saarland between 1948 and 1957. It was at par with the French franc, French coins and banknotes circulated alongside local issues.-History:...
, which was in a currency union at par with the
French FrancThe franc was a former currency of France. Between 1360 and 1641, it was the name of coins worth 1 livre tournois and it remained in common parlance as a term for this amount of money...
. On July 9, 1959 the Deutsche Mark replaced the Saar Franc at a ratio of 100 Francs = 0.8507 DM.
The DM's role in German reunification
The Deutsche Mark played an important role in the reunification of Germany. It was introduced as the official currency of
East GermanyThe German Democratic Republic was a Communist state that originated from the Soviet Zone of occupied Germany and the Soviet sector of occupied Berlin...
in July 1990, replacing the East German Mark
(Mark der DDR), in preparation for unification on 3 October 1990. East German marks were exchanged for DM at a rate of 1:1 for the first 4000 Marks and 2:1 for larger amounts. Before reunification, each citizen of East Germany coming to West Germany was given Begrüßungsgeld, greeting money, a per capita allowance of 100 DM in cash. The government of Germany, and the Bundesbank were in major disagreement over the exchange rate between the East German Mark and the DM.
Stability of the DM
The DM had a reputation as one of the world's most stable currencies; this was based on the monetary policy of the
Bundesbank. The policy was "hard" in relation to the policies of certain other central banks in Europe. The "hard" and "soft" was in respect to the aims of inflation and political interference. This policy is the foundation of the European Central Bank's present policy towards the euro. The DM's stability was greatly apparent in 1993, when speculation on the French Franc and other European currencies caused a change in the
European Exchange Rate MechanismThe European Exchange Rate Mechanism, ERM, was a system introduced by the European Community in March 1979, as part of the European Monetary System , to reduce exchange rate variability and achieve monetary stability in Europe, in preparation for Economic and Monetary Union and the introduction of...
.
Coins
The first DM coins were issued by the
Bank deutscher LänderThe Bank deutscher Länder , abbreviation BdL, was the forerunner of the Deutsche Bundesbank. It was founded on 1 March 1948....
in 1948 and 1949. From 1950, the inscription
Bundesrepublik Deutschland (Federal Republic of Germany) appeared on the coins.
| Denomination |
Dates issued |
Composition |
Obverse |
Reverse |
| 1 Pfennig |
1948–2001 |
1948–1949: Bronze plated steel
1950–2001: Copper plated steel |
Oak sprig |
Denomination between rye stalks |
| 2 Pfennig |
1950–2001 |
1950–1968: Bronze
1968–2001: Bronze plated steel |
Oak sprig |
Denomination between rye stalks |
| 5 Pfennig |
1949–2001 |
Brass plated steel |
Oak sprig |
Denomination between rye stalks |
| 10 Pfennig |
1949–2001 |
Brass plated steel |
Oak sprig |
Denomination between rye stalks |
| 50 Pfennig |
1949–2001 |
Cupro-nickel |
Woman planting an oak seedling |
Denomination |
| 1 DM |
1950–2001 |
Cupro-nickel |
German eagle |
Denomination between oak leaves |
| 2 DM |
1951, 1957–2001 |
Cupro-nickel |
German eagle |
1951: Denomination between rye stalks and grapes
1957–1971: Max PlanckMax Planck was a German physicist. He is considered to be the founder of the quantum theory, and thus one of the most important physicists of the twentieth century. Planck was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1918.-Biography:Planck came from a traditional, intellectual family...
1969–1987: Konrad AdenauerKonrad Hermann Josef Adenauer , 5 January 1876 – 19 April 1967) was a German statesman.Although his political career spanned sixty years, beginning as early as 1906, he is most noted for his role as the first Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany from 1949–1963 and chairman of the...
1970–1987: Theodor HeussTheodor Heuss was a German politician. He was the first person elected to a regular term as President of the Federal Republic of Germany....
1979–2001: Kurt SchumacherDr. Kurt Schumacher , was the leader of the Social Democratic Party of Germany from 1945 to 1952.-Early career:Kurt Schumacher was born in Kulm in West Prussia , the son of a small businessman...
1988–2001: Ludwig ErhardLudwig Wilhelm Erhard was a German politician and Chancellor of West Germany from 1963 until 1966. He is notable for his leading role in German postwar economic reform and economic recovery, particularly in his role as Minister of Economics under Chancellor Konrad Adenauer after 1949.- Life and...
1990–1994: Franz Josef StraußFranz Josef Strauss was a German politician. He was the leader of the Christian Social Union, a one-time member of the federal cabinet, and long-time minister-president of the state of Bavaria....
1994–2001: Willy BrandtWilly Brandt, born Herbert Ernst Karl Frahm , was a German politician, Chancellor of West Germany 1969–1974, and leader of the Social Democratic Party of Germany 1964–1987....
|
| 5 DM |
1951–2001 |
1951–1974: Silver
1975–2001: Cupro-nickel |
German eagle |
Denomination |
There were a considerable number of
commemorative silver 5 and 10 DM coinsThis is a list of commemorative coins issued by the Federal Republic of Germany. For regular coins, see Deutsche Mark and German euro coins. Those prior to 2002 were denominated in Deutsche Marks; subsequent ones have been denominated in euros....
, which actually had the status of
legal tenderLegal tender or forced tender is an offered payment that, by law, cannot be refused in settlement of a debt, and have the debt remain in force....
but were rarely seen outside of collectors' circles.
On 27 December 2000, the German government enacted a law authorizing the Bundesbank to issue, in 2001, a special .999 pure gold 1 DM coin commemorating the end of the DM. The coin had the exact design and dimensions of the circulating cupro-nickel 1 DM coin, with the exception of the inscription on the reverse, which read "Deutsche Bundesbank" (instead of "Bundesrepublik Deutschland"), as the Bundesbank was the issuing authority in this case. A total of one million gold DM coins were minted (200,000 at each of the five mints) and were sold beginning in mid-2001 through German coin dealers on behalf of the Bundesbank. The issue price varied by dealer but averaged approximately $165 in U.S. dollars.
German coins bear a mint mark, indicating where the coin was minted. D indicates Munich, F Stuttgart, G Karlsruhe and J Hamburg. Coins minted during WW2 include the mint marks A (Berlin) and B (Vienna). The mint mark A was also used for DM coins minted in Berlin beginning in 1990 following the reunification of Germany. These mint marks have been continued on the German
EuroThe euro is the official currency of 16 of the 27 Member States of the European Union . The states, known collectively as the Eurozone, are Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain...
coins.
Between July 1, 1990 (Currency union with East Germany) and July 1, 1991 East German coins of denominations up to 50 pfennigs continued to circulate as Deutsche Mark coins at their face value, due to a temporary shortage of small coins. These coins were legal tender only in the territory of former East Germany.
Colloquial expression
In colloquial German the 10 Pfennig coin was sometimes called a
GroschenGroschen was the name for a coin used in various German-speaking states as well as some non-German-speaking countries of Central Europe , the Danubian principalities...
(cf. groat). Likewise,
Sechser (sixer) could refer to a coin of 5 Pfennig. Both colloquialisms refer to several pre-1871 currencies of the previously independent
Länder----Länder refers to one or any of:* Colloquially used for States of Austria, the technically correct German language name for the federal states of Austria is Bundesländer, which is hardly used in Austria....
(notably
PrussiaPrussia was a historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries this state had substantial influence on German and European history...
), where a Groschen was subdivided into 12 Pfennigs, hence half a Groschen into 6. After 1871, 12 Pfennigs of old currency would be converted into 10 Pfennig of the Mark, hence 10 Pfennig coins inherited the "Groschen" name and 5 Pfennig coins inherited the "Sechser" name. Both usages are only regional and may not be understood in areas where a Groschen coin did not exist pre-1871. Especially the usage of "Sechser" is less widely spread. In Northern Germany the 5 Mark coin used to be also called "Heiermann" (hired man).
Banknotes
There were four series of DM banknotes:
- The first was issued in 1948 by the Allied military. There were denominations of ½, 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 DM, with two designs of 20 and 50 DM notes.
- The second series was introduced in 1948 by the Bank deutscher Länder, an institution of the western occupation government. The designs were similar to the US Dollar and French franc
The franc was a former currency of France. Between 1360 and 1641, it was the name of coins worth 1 livre tournois and it remained in common parlance as a term for this amount of money...
, as the job of designing and printing the different denominations was shared between the Bank of France and the American Bank Note Company. There were denominations of 5 and 10 Pfennig, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 DM.
- The third series was introduced in 1960 by the Bundesbank, depicting neutral symbols, paintings by the German painter Albrecht Dürer
Albrecht Dürer was a German painter, printmaker and theorist from Nuremberg. His prints established his reputation across Europe when he was still in his twenties, and he has been conventionally regarded as the greatest artist of the Northern Renaissance ever since...
, and buildings. There were 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 DM denominations.
- The fourth was introduced in 1990 by the Bundesbank to counter advances in forgery
Forgery is the process of making, adapting, or imitating objects, statistics, or documents , with the intent to deceive. The similar crime of fraud is the crime of deceiving another, including through the use of objects obtained through forgery...
technology. The notes depicted German artists and scientists together with symbols and tools of their trade. This series added a 200 DM denomination, to decrease the use of 100 DM banknotes, which made up 54% of all circulating banknotes, and to fill the gap between the 100 DM and 500 DM denomination. Nevertheless the 200 DM denomination was rather rare.
In the latter two series, the 5 DM denomination was rarely seen, as were the ones with a value greater than 100 DM.
Banknotes of the fourth series (1990–2002)
The design of German banknotes remained unchanged during the 1960s, '70s and '80s. During this period, forgery technology made significant advances so, in the late 1980s, the Bundesbank decided to issue a new series of Deutsche Mark banknotes. The colours for each denomination remained unchanged from the previous series but the designs underwent significant changes and a 200 DM denomination was introduced. Famous national artists and scientists were chosen to be portrayed on the new banknotes. Male and female artists were chosen in equal numbers. The buildings in the background of the notes' obverses had a close relationship to the person displayed (e.g., place of birth, place of death, place of work), as well as the second background picture (Lyra and the musician Schumann). The reverses of the notes refer to the work of the person on the obverse.
The new security features were: a windowed security-thread (with the notes denomination in microprinting), watermark, micro-printing,
intaglio-printingIntaglio is a family of printmaking techniques in which the image is incised into a surface, known as the matrix or plate. Normally, copper or zinc plates are used as a surface, and the incisions are created by etching, engraving, drypoint, aquatint or mezzotint. Collographs may also be printed...
(viewing-angle dependent visibility as well as a
brailleThe Braille system is a method that is widely used by blind people to read and write. Braille was devised in 1821 by Louis Braille, a blind Frenchman. Each Braille character or cell is made up of six dot positions, arranged in a rectangle containing two columns of three dots each...
representation of the notes denomination), colour-shifting ink (on the 500 and 1000 DM denominations), a see-through register and UV-visible security features.
First to be issued were the 100 and 200 DM denominations on 1 October 1990 (although the banknote shows "
Frankfurt am MainFrankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2008 population of 670,000. The urban area had an estimated population of 2.26 million in 2001...
, 2. Januar 1989"). The next denomination was 10 DM on 16 April 1991, followed by 50 DM in autumn the same year. Next was the 20 DM note on 20 March 1992 (printed on 2 August 1991). The reason for this gradual introduction was, that public should become familiar with one single denomination, before introducing a new one. The change was finished with the introduction of the 5, 500, and 1000 DM denominations on 27 October 1992. The last three denominations were rarely seen in circulation and were introduced in one step. With the advance of forgery technology, the Bundesbank decided to introduce additional security features on the most important denominations (50, 100, and 200 DM) as of 1996. These were a hologram foil in the center of the note's obverse, a matted printing on the note's right obverse, showing its denomination (like on the reverse of the new €5, €10, and €20
banknotesEuro banknotes are the banknotes of the euro, the currency of the eurozone . They have been in circulation since 2002 and are issued by the European Central Bank , each bearing the signature of the President of the European Central Bank...
), and the
EURion constellationThe EURion constellation is a pattern of symbols found on a number of banknote designs since about 1996. It is added to help software detect the presence of a banknote in a digital image...
on the note's reverse. Furthermore, the colors were changed a bit to pastel to hamper counterfeiting.
| 1989 Series http://www.bundesbank.de/bargeld/bargeld_faq_dmbanknotenabbildungen.php |
| Image | | € equiv. | | Main Colour | | Date of |
|---|
| Obverse | Reverse | Obverse | Reverse | Watermark | first printing | issue | withdrawal | lapse |
|---|
| |
|
5 DM |
2.56 |
122 × 62 mm |
Yellowish-green |
Bettina von ArnimBettina Brentano von Arnim , born Elisabeth Catharina Ludovica Magdalena Brentano, was a German writer and novelist....
, Wiepersdorf estate and buildings of historic Berlin |
Brandenburg GateThe Brandenburg Gate is a former city gate and one of the main symbols of Berlin and Germany. It is located west of the city center at the intersection of Unter den Linden and Ebertstraße, immediately west of the Pariser Platz. It is the only remaining gate of a series through which one formerly...
|
As portrait |
1 August 1991 |
27 October 1992 |
31 December 2001 |
Indefinite |
| |
|
10 DM |
5.11 |
130 × 65 mm |
Blue-violet |
Carl Friedrich GaussJohann Carl Friedrich Gauss was a German mathematician and scientist who contributed significantly to many fields, including number theory, statistics, analysis, differential geometry, geodesy, geophysics, electrostatics, astronomy and optics...
, Gaussian distribution, historic buildings of GöttingenGöttingen is a college town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Göttingen. The Leine river runs through the town. In 2006 the population was 129,686.-General information:...
|
Sextant A sextant is an instrument generally used to measure the altitude of a celestial object above the horizon. Making this measurement is known as sighting the object, shooting the object, or taking a sight. The angle, and the time when it was measured, can be used to calculate a position line on a...
, a small map showing the triangulationIn trigonometry and geometry, triangulation is the process of determining the location of a point by measuring angles to it from known points at either end of a fixed baseline, rather than measuring distances to the point directly...
of the Kingdom of HanoverThe Kingdom of Hanover was established in October 1814 by the Congress of Vienna, with the restoration of George III to his Hanoverian territories after the Napoleonic era...
performed by Gauss |
2 January 1989 |
16 April 1991 |
| |
|
20 DM |
10.23 |
138 × 68 mm |
Blueish-green |
Annette von Droste-Hülshoff ' was a 19th century German author, and one of the most important German poets.-Biography:She was born at the family seat castle Burg Hülshoff inside the Prince-Bishopric of Münster into an aristocratic, Catholic family of Westphalia...
, buildings of the city of MeersburgMeersburg is a town of Baden-Württemberg in the southwest of Germany at Lake Constance.It is famous for its charming medieval city. The lower town and uptown are reserved for pedestrians only and connected by two stairways and a steep street .-History:The name of the town means "Burg on the...
|
A quillA quill pen is a writing implement made from a flight feather of a large bird. Quills were used for writing with ink before the invention of the dip pen, metal-nibbed pens, the fountain pen, and, eventually, the ballpoint pen...
pen and a beech-tree, referring to her work Die JudenbucheDie Judenbuche is a novella written by Annette von Droste-Hülshoff and first published in 1842. The beech tree becomes a significant symbol in the story....
|
1 August 1991 |
20 March 1992 |
 |
 |
50 DM |
25.56 |
146 × 71 mm |
Yellowish-brown |
Balthasar Neumann ' was a German military engineer and architect who developed a refined brand of Baroque architecture, fusing Austrian, Bohemian, Italian, and French elements to design some of the most impressive buildings of the period, including the Würzburg Residence and the Basilica of the Fourteen Holy...
, buildings of Old-WürzburgWürzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located on the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
, an architect's ruler |
Partial view of the stairway in the Würzburg ResidenceThe Würzburg Residenz is a palace in Würzburg, Germany. It was designed by several of the leading Baroque architects. Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt and Maximilian von Welsch, leading representants of the Austrian/South German Baroque were involved as well as Robert de Cotte and Germain Boffrand,...
, the ground plan of a famous chapel, Kreuzkapelle, in KitzingenKitzingen is a town in the German state of Bavaria, capital of the district Kitzingen. It is part of Franconia geographical region and has around 21,000 inhabitants.Surrounded by vineyards, Kitzingen County is the largest wine producer in Bavaria...
|
2 January 1989 |
|
 |
 |
100 DM |
51.13 |
154 × 74 mm |
Dark blue |
Clara Schumann Clara Schumann was a German musician and composer, considered one of the most distinguished pianists of the Romantic era...
from a lithograph by Andreas Staub, buildings of historic LeipzigLeipzig is, with a population of 515,459, the largest city in the federal state of Saxony, Germany.-Origins:Leipzig's name is derived from the Slavic word Lipsk, which means "settlement where the lime trees stand"....
and a lyreThe lyre is a stringed musical instrument well known for its use in classical antiquity and later. The recitations of the Ancient Greeks were accompanied by lyre playing. The lyre of Classical Antiquity was ordinarily played by being strummed with a plectrum, like a guitar or a zither, rather than...
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Grand piano, Background: the pre-war building of the Hoch ConservatoryDr. Hoch’s Konservatorium - Musikakademie in Frankfurt am Main was founded September 22 1878. Through the generosity of Frankfurter Joseph Hoch, who bequeathed the Conservatory one million German gold marks in his testament, a school for music and the arts was established for all age groups. It...
in Frankfurt am Main |
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162 × 77 mm |
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Paul EhrlichPaul Ehrlich was a German scientist in the fields of hematology, immunology, and chemotherapy, and Nobel laureate. He is noted for curing syphilis and for his research in autoimmunity, calling it "horror autotoxicus"...
, buildings of historic FrankfurtFrankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2008 population of 670,000. The urban area had an estimated population of 2.26 million in 2001...
, the formula of ArsphenamineArsphenamine, also known as Salvarsan and 606, is a drug that was used to treat syphilis and trypanosomiasis. It was the first modern chemotherapeutic agent.-History:...
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MicroscopeA microscope is an instrument to see objects too tiny for the naked eye. The science of investigating small objects using such an instrument is called microscopy. Microscopic means invisible to the eye unless aided by a microscope.-History:An early microscope was made in 1590 in Middelburg, The...
, the Rod of Asclepius__FORCETOC__ The rod of Asclepius , also known as the asklepian, is an ancient symbol associated with astrology, the Greek god Asclepius and with healing. It consists of a serpent entwined around a staff...
surrounded by simplified cell structures |
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Anna Maria Sibylla Merian, an insect, buildings of ancient NurembergNuremberg is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. It is situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal and is Franconia's largest city. It is located about 170 kilometres north of Munich, at 49.27° N 11.5° E. The population is...
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Dandelion, inchworm Inchworms are the caterpillars of geometer moths.Inchworm can also mean:*Inchworm , a song from the film Hans Christian Andersen*Inchworm , a ride-on toy manufactured by Hasbro in the 1970s...
, butterflyA butterfly is an insect of the order Lepidoptera. Like all Lepidoptera, butterflies are notable for their unusual life cycle with a larval caterpillar stage, an inactive pupal stage, and a spectacular metamorphosis into a familiar and colourful winged adult form. Most species are day-flying so...
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WilhelmWilhelm Carl Grimm was a German author, the younger of the Brothers Grimm.He was born in Hanau, Germany and in 1803 he started studying law at the University of Marburg, one year after his brother Jacob started there.In 1825 Wilhelm married a pharmacist's daughter; Henriette Dorothea Wild, also...
and Jakob GrimmThe Brothers Grimm , Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm , were German academics who were best known for publishing collections of folk tales and fairy tales and for their work in linguistics, relating to how the sounds in words shift over time .They are among the best known story...
, buildings of historic KasselKassel Kassel Kassel and of the district (Kreis) of the same name...
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The 'German dictionary' (Deutsches Wörterbuch), the Royal library in Berlin |
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Spelling and pronunciation
The German name of the currency is
Deutsche Mark (
fem.In linguistics, grammatical genders, sometimes also called noun classes, are classes of nouns reflected in the behavior of associated words; every noun must belong to one of the classes and there should be very few which belong to several classes at once....
, ); its plural form in
standard GermanStandard German is the standard variety of the German language used as a written language, in formal contexts, and for communication between different dialect areas...
was the same as the singular. In German, the adjective "deutsche" (adjective for "German" in
feminineIn linguistics, grammatical genders, sometimes also called noun classes, are classes of nouns reflected in the behavior of associated words; every noun must belong to one of the classes and there should be very few which belong to several classes at once....
singularIn linguistics, grammatical number is a grammatical category of nouns, pronouns, and adjective and verb agreement that expresses count distinctions ....
nominative form) is capitalized due to its part in a proper name, while the noun "Mark", like all German nouns, is always capitalized. The English
loanwordA loanword is a word borrowed from one language and incorporated into another.-General:By contrast, a calque or loan translation is a related concept, whereby it is the meaning or idiom that is borrowed rather than the lexical item itself.The word loanword is itself a calque of the German...
"Deutschmark" had a slightly different spelling (possibly due to the frequency of
silent eSilent e is a writing convention in English spelling. A silent letter e at the end of a word often signals a specific pronunciation of the preceding vowel letter, as in the difference between "rid" and "ride" . This orthographic pattern followed the phonological changes of the Great Vowel Shift...
in English) and a plural form. In Germany, the currency's name was often abbreviated as
D-Mark (
fem.In linguistics, grammatical genders, sometimes also called noun classes, are classes of nouns reflected in the behavior of associated words; every noun must belong to one of the classes and there should be very few which belong to several classes at once....
, ) or sometimes
Mark (
fem.In linguistics, grammatical genders, sometimes also called noun classes, are classes of nouns reflected in the behavior of associated words; every noun must belong to one of the classes and there should be very few which belong to several classes at once....
) with the latter term also often used in English. Like
Deutsche Mark,
D-Mark and
Mark have no plural form, the singular being used to refer to any amount of money (e.g.
eine (one) Mark and
dreißig (thirty) Mark). Sometimes, a plural form of
Mark,
Märker was used as either as
diminutiveIn language structure, a diminutive, or diminutive form, is a formation of a word used to convey a slight degree of the root meaning, smallness of the object or quality named, encapsulation, intimacy, or endearment...
form or to refer to a (physically present or small) number of D-Mark coins or bills (e.g.
Gib mir mal ein paar Märker (Just give me a few Mark (-bills or -coins)) and
Die lieben Märker wieder (The lovely money again (with an
ironicIrony is a situation, literary or rhetorical device, in which there is an incongruity, discordance or unintended connection that goes beyond the most evident meaning....
undertone)).
The subdivision unit is spelled
Pfennig (
masc.In linguistics, grammatical genders, sometimes also called noun classes, are classes of nouns reflected in the behavior of associated words; every noun must belong to one of the classes and there should be very few which belong to several classes at once....
; ), which unlike
Mark does have a commonly used plural form:
Pfennige , but the singular could also be used instead with no difference in meaning. (e.g.:
ein (one) Pfennig,
dreißig (thirty) Pfennige or
dreißig (thirty) Pfennig). The official form is singular.
The mark as a major international reserve currency
Before the switch to the euro, the mark was considered a major international reserve currency, second only to the US dollar.
See also
- Euro
The euro is the official currency of 16 of the 27 Member States of the European Union . The states, known collectively as the Eurozone, are Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain...
- German euro coins
German euro coins have three separate designs for the three series of coins. The 1, 2 and 5 cent coins were designed by Rolf Lederbogen, the design for the 10, 20 and 50 cent coins is by the hand of Reinhard Heinsdorff and the 1 and 2 euro coins were done by Heinz Hoyer and Sneschana Russewa-Hoyer...
- List of commemorative coins of the Federal Republic of Germany
- German Papiermark
The name Papiermark is applied to the German currency from the point in 1914 when the link between the Mark and gold was abandoned, due to the outbreak of the First World War...
and NotgeldNotgeld was special money issued primarily in Germany and Austria to deal with economic crisis situations such as a shortage of small change or hyperinflation. It was not issued by the central bank but by various other institutions, e.g. town savings banks, municipalities, private and state-owned...
- German Reichsmark
The Reichsmark was the currency in Germany from 1924 until June 20, 1948. The Reichsmark was subdivided into 100 Reichspfennig.-History:...
- Economy of Germany
{Infobox Economy|country = Germany|image = Skyline Frankfurt am Main.jpg|width = 250|currency = Euro |year = calendar year|organs = EU, WTO and OECD|rank = 5th...
External links