The 1 Mark coin of the German Imperial currency

Stuttgart Community College presents:

From the Royal Coin Cabinet
Episode 1:

The 1-Mark coin of the German Imperial currency (1873–1916)

1 mark coin, obverse

Following the founding of the German Empire in 1871, it became necessary to create a uniform imperial currency. Until then, the southern German region had used the guilder at 60 kreuzers, whilst in Prussian-dominated northern Germany, the taler was used at 30 groschen or 360 pfennigs. Due to the silver content of the coins, a fixed exchange rate of 1 taler = 1.75 guilders applied. The new currency was to be – in keeping with the times – decimal and based on gold. The mark was born, with a conversion rate of 1 mark = 1.71 guilders = 3 talers.
As was customary at the time, the higher-value coins were legal tender, meaning their material value corresponded to their face value. Legal tender coins included 5, 10 and 20 Mark in gold, with one Mark here corresponding to approximately 0.36g of fine gold.

Example of a 10-mark coin, Prussia, 1901, obverse and reverse

As can be seen in the example above, all constituent states of the German Empire had their own designs for gold coins, usually the bust of the ruler or, in the Free Cities, the city coat of arms. A small ‘A’ can be seen below the bust in the example. This indicated the mint where the coin was produced. Many of the smaller states did not have their own mint but commissioned their coinage from larger states.

The mints were:
A Berlin 1871 – present
B Hanover 1872 – 1878
C Frankfurt/Main 1872 – 1879
D Munich 1872 – present
E Dresden 1872 – 1887
Muldenhütten 1887 – 1953
F Stuttgart 1872 – present
G Karlsruhe 1872 – present
H Darmstadt 1872 – 1882
J Hamburg 1875 – 1882

As we can see, five of these mints are still in operation today. Their letters can also be found on the respective German euro coins.

Coins of lower value were so-called split coins; their metal value was lower than their face value (all euro coins, for example, are also split coins).
The 2, 3 and 5 Mark coins were made of silver and, like the gold coins, had a region-specific obverse. The 1-mark and 50-pfennig coins were also made of silver, but had a standardised obverse, as did the 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 25-pfennig coins, which were made of base metal.

Let’s now take a closer look at the 1-mark coin. It has a diameter of 24 mm and weighs 5.56 g, of which exactly 5 g is fine silver.

1 Mark coin 1875, minted in Berlin, obverse and reverse

1 Mark coin 1914, minted in Karlsruhe, obverse and reverse

The coin has a relatively simple design. On the obverse, the denomination ‘1 Mark’ is shown within a beaded circle, with the words ‘Deutsches Reich’ (German Empire) above it in an arc, and the year at the bottom. The whole design is framed by oak branches, a traditional symbol of Germany, which are tied together at the bottom with a ribbon. This is intended to symbolise the unification of Germany.
The reverse features – also within a beaded circle – the Imperial Eagle with the imperial crown as the coat of arms of the German Empire. At the bottom, on the tail feathers, the mint mark can be seen on the left and right. It is clear from the images above that the design on the reverse changed. In 1891, it was decided to alter the Imperial Eagle. The bird itself was enlarged, whilst the coat of arms of Prussia, which it bears, was reduced in size. This was done to emphasise the eagle as a unifying symbol of Germany and, at the same time, to make Prussia’s dominance within the Empire appear less oppressive.

Stuttgart Community College would like to thank you for your interest in the King’s coin treasures. Please let us know which coin you would like us to look at in the next instalment.

This information piece was sponsored by https://app.warera.io/party/6a11bbbe2eb2cc99fe593946. We are always looking for interested people from Württemberg who want to support Germany!