In 800, King Charles of the Franks had himself crowned emperor. Thus was born the Holy Roman Empire of the German nation, which existed for a thousand years. Until 1806, when it was abolished by the French emperor Napoleon. The empire was divided into hundreds of separate states. The word "Mark" meant only a unit of weight.
Chancellor Otto von Bismarck united Germany with blood and iron in three great wars. In 1871, the Second German Reich was established. In this empire, a unified currency was introduced - the Reichsmark. Its parts and multiples were minted in silver.
1 Mark, 1907, diameter 24 mm, weight 5.556 g, purity of silver 900/1000
1/2 Mark, diameter 20 mm, weight 2.778 g, purity of silver 900/1000
Chancellor Otto von Bismarck united Germany with blood and iron in three great wars. In 1871, the Second German Reich was established. In this empire, a unified currency was introduced - the Reichsmark. Its parts and multiples were minted in silver.
In November 1923, German workers were paid twice a day as the value of money was halved by evening. It was not the highest inflation in European history. In 1924, the monetary situation was stabilized.
As a result of the world economic crisis of 1929, after regular elections in 1932, Adolf Hitler came to power. In 1934, Reich President Paul von Hindenburg dies. His function is merged with that of the Reich Chancellor. Adolf Hitler will continue to title himself as the leader of the German nation. The history of the Third Great German Reich begins to be written. It was defeated in 1945.
5 Mark, 1935, diameter 29 mm, weight 13,88 g, 900/1000
The last German pre-war coin that did not feature a swastika.
You probably already have these coins in your collections.
5 Deutsche Mark, diameter 29 mm, weight 11.2 g, purity of silver 625/1000
The history of the German mark ends in 2001. Germany starts paying in euros. This coin is no longer commonly minted in silver. But the German eagle remained on it.
As a neighbor of Germany, I have to hope that no Fourth German Reich is in the offing and that Germany is once and for all a member of the family of democratic states.
I wish all readers a beautiful Tuesday and the whole week.