Coins
The first German mark coins were issued by the Bank deutscher Länder in 1948 and 1949. From 1950, the inscription Bundesrepublik Deutschland (Federal Republic of Germany) appeared on the coins. Unlike other countries, Germany retained the use of the smallest coins (certainly in supermarkets) of 1 and 2 Pfennigs until adoption of the Euro.
| Denomination | Dates issued | Composition | Obverse | Reverse | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Pfennig | 1948–2001 | 1948–1949: Bronze-plated steel 1950–2001: Copper-plated steel |
Denomination between rye stalks | Oak sprig | |
| 2 Pfennig | 1950–2001 | 1950–1968: Bronze 1968–2001: Bronze-plated steel |
Denomination between rye stalks | Oak sprig | |
| 5 Pfennig | 1949–2001 | Brass-plated steel | Denomination between rye stalks | Oak sprig | |
| 10 Pfennig | 1949–2001 | Brass-plated steel | Denomination between rye stalks | Oak sprig | |
| 50 Pfennig | 1949–2001 | Cupro-nickel | Denomination | Woman planting an oak seedling | |
| DM 1 | 1950–2001 | Cupro-nickel | Denomination between oak leaves | German eagle | |
| DM 2 | 1951, 1957–2001 | Cupro-nickel | 1951: Denomination between rye stalks and grapes 1957–1971: Max Planck 1969–1987: Konrad Adenauer 1970–1987: Theodor Heuss 1979–2001: Kurt Schumacher 1988–2001: Ludwig Erhard 1990–1994: Franz Josef Strauß 1994–2001: Willy Brandt |
German eagle | |
| DM 5 | 1951–2001 | 1951–1974: Silver 1975–2001: Cupro-nickel |
Denomination | German eagle | |
| DM 10 | 1987–2001 | 1987–2001: Silver | Varies | German eagle, different designs |
The weights and dimensions of the coins can be found in an FAQ of the Bundesbank.
Unlike other countries (such as Australia) there was no attempt (or proposal suggested) for the withdrawal of the one and two pfennig coins. Both coins were still in circulation in 2001 and supermarkets in particular still marked prices to the pfennig. This penchant for accuracy continues with the euro (while Finland or the Netherlands for example, price to the nearest 5 cents) with the cent still encountered in Germany.
There were a considerable number of commemorative silver DM 5 and DM 10 coins, which actually had the status of legal tender 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 Deutsche Mark coin commemorating the end of the German mark. The coin had the exact design and dimensions of the circulating cupro-nickel DM 1 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 German mark 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 United States 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 the Second World War include the mint marks A (Berlin) and B (Vienna). The mint mark A was also used for German mark coins minted in Berlin beginning in 1990 following the reunification of Germany. These mint marks have been continued on the German euro coins.
Between July 1, 1990 (Currency union with East Germany) and July 1, 1991 East German coins in denominations up to 50 pfennigs continued to circulate as Deutsche Mark coins at their face value, owing to a temporary shortage of small coins. These coins were legal tender only in the territory of the former East Germany.
Read more about this topic: Deutsche Mark
Famous quotes containing the word coins:
“A war undertaken without sufficient monies has but a wisp of force. Coins are the very sinews of battles.”
—François Rabelais (1494–1553)
“No Time, spoke the clocks, no God, rang the bells,
I drew the white sheet over the islands
And the coins on my eyelids sang like shells.”
—Dylan Thomas (1914–1953)