German 20 Mark banknote from 1914 (www.GermanNotes.com)

The Goldmark (officially: just Mark) was the name used for the coinage of the German Empire from 1873 to 1914. Before unification, the different German states had issued a variety of different currencies, though most were linked to the Vereinsthaler, a silver coin containing 16 2/3 grams 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. Southern Germany had used the Gulden as the standard unit of account, which was worth 4/7 of a Vereinsthaler and hence, became worth 1.71 marks in the new currency. Bremen had used a gold based Thaler which was converted directly to the mark at a rate of 1 gold Thaler = 3.32 mark. Hamburg had used its own mark prior to 1873. This was replaced by the Goldmark at a rate of 1 Hamburg mark = 1.2 Goldmark. Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... A £20 Ulster Bank banknote. ... Flag of the German Empire, 1871–1919: black-white-red Coat of arms The term German Empire commonly refers to Germany, from its foundation as a unified nation-state on January 18, 1871, until the abdication of Emperor Wilhelm II on November 9, 1918. ... 1873 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calaber). ... 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... The Vereinsthaler (union thaler) was a standard silver coin used in most German states and the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the years prior to German unification. ... Silver coins are possibly the oldest form of money. ... The gram or gramme, symbol g, is a unit of mass. ... The gulden was the currency of the states of southern Germany between 1754 and 1873. ... Bremen may mean: Bremen (city), the city in Germany itself Bremen Airport Bremen (state), which comprises the cities of Bremen and Bremerhaven Archbishopric of Bremen, a historical state to the north of the city Duchy of Bremen, a historical state created on the secularization of the archbishopric in 1648 Bremen... The Thaler was the currency of Bremen until 1873. ... The Mark was the currency of Hamburg until 1873. ...

From January 1, 1876 onwards, the mark became the only legal tender. The name Goldmark was created later to distinguish them from the Papiermark (paper mark) which suffered a massive loss of value through inflation following the First World War. January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... 1876 (MDCCCLXXVI) is a leap year starting on Saturday. ... // Mark can refer to the following: A mark is a point typically used within the context of a measurement. ... Legal tender or forced tender is payment that cannot be refused in settlement of a debt denominated in the same currency by virtue of law. ... The name Papiermark (German: Paper mark) can be 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. ... Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ...

The coins of the Goldmark currency had internal value in precious metals but were not bullion coins. The highest values were minted in gold; 2790 marks equalled 1 kilogram of pure gold. A gold nugget A precious metal is a rare metallic chemical element of high, durable economic value. ... A precious metal is a rare metallic element of high, durable economic value. ... The international prototype, made of platinum-iridium, which is kept at the BIPM under conditions specified by the 1st CGPM in 1889. ...

Coins of the German Empire

Left side of the gold marks (1/2, 1, 5 and 20 mark)

Right side of the gold marks (1/2, 1, 5 and 20 mark)

Wikipedia Goldmark L from de, GNU-FDL Licensed for use in accordance with the GFDL. File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Wikipedia Goldmark L from de, GNU-FDL Licensed for use in accordance with the GFDL. File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... gold mark from de, Licensed for use in accordance with the GFDL. File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... gold mark from de, Licensed for use in accordance with the GFDL. File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

Gold coins (900/1000 gold)

• 20 Mark, 7.168 g gold
• 10 Mark, 3.583 g gold
• 5 Mark, 1.791 g gold

General Name, Symbol, Number gold, Au, 79 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 6, d Appearance metallic yellow Atomic mass 196. ...

Silver coins (900/1000 silver)

Smaller values were pressed in silver, with 1 mark equalling 5g of silver. General Name, Symbol, Number silver, Ag, 47 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 5, d Appearance lustrous white metal Atomic mass 107. ...

• 5 Mark, 25 g silver
• 3 Mark, 15 g silver, from 1908 onwards
• 2 Mark, 10 g silver
• 1 Mark, 5 g silver
• 1/2 Mark, 2.5 g silver

• 50 Pfennig, 2.5 g silver (= 1/2 mark)
• 20 Pfennig, 1 g silver, only until 1878

The 3 mark coin was introduced as a replacement for the Vereinsthaler coins of the previous currency, whose silver content was slightly more than that of the 3 mark coin. The pfennig was a small German coin valued at 1/100 of a Deutsche Mark and other German currencies with the name Mark. ... The Vereinsthaler (union thaler) was a standard silver coin used in most German states and the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the years prior to German unification. ...

Small coins

Smaller coins were pressed without content of precious metals, using bronze or nickel.

• 50 Pfennig (Aluminium: 1919-1922)
• 25 Pfennig (Nickel: 1909-1912)
• 20 Pfennig (Nickel)
• 10 Pfennig (Copper-Nickel: 1873-1916, Iron and Zinc until 1922)
• 5 Pfennig (Copper-Nickel: 1873-1915, Iron:1915-1922)
• 2 Pfennig (Copper to 1916 then discontinued)
• 1 Pfennig (Copper: 1873-1916, Aluminium:1916-1918)

During World War I coins were made from aluminium, zinc, iron and steel. Combatants Allies: • Serbia, • Russia, • France, • Romania, • Belgium, • British Empire and Dominions, • United States, • Italy, • ...and others Central Powers: • Germany, • Austria-Hungary, • Ottoman Empire, • Bulgaria Casualties Military dead: 5 million Civilian dead: 3 million Total: 8 million Full list Military dead: 3 million Civilian dead: 3 million Total: 6 million Full...

Design of the coins

Similar with the euro coin, there were lots of different pictures on the coins (2 mark to 20 mark). Every state of the German Empire could make their own picture side. Mostly the picture of the monarch of the state was used, the free towns Bremen, Hamburg and Lübeck used their city insignia. The other side of the coins showed the Reichsadler, i.e. the eagle insignia of the German Empire. Coins up to the 1 mark coin were designed identically in the whole empire.Coin1 Coins2 The euro (plural euro, symbol: €; banking code: EUR) is the official currency of the European Union and single currency for over 300 million Europeans in the following twelve European Union member states: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain; collectively also known as... The Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (official name; German: Freie Hansestadt Bremen) is a port city in northern Germany and one of its 16 Federal States (Bundesländer). ... Alster Lake at dusk Hamburg is the second largest city in Germany and with Hamburg Harbour, its principal port. ... Lübeck ( pronunc. ...

Banknotes

In addition to coins, the German Empire currency used paper money. During the First World War a 1 and 2 Mark was issued allong with the 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 1000 mark, issued by the Reichsbank. Banknotes could be exchanged into legal tender (i.e. gold coins) for their nominal value. Banknote series A 100 Mark banknote issued by the German Reichsbank in 1908 (http://www. ...