March 20, 2010, 00:04 CET
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Deutsche Mark banknotes and coins
Where can I find pictures and information on DM banknotes and coins? From 1 January 2002, euro banknotes and coins are legal tender in all EU member states participating in monetary union. This has nullified the legal tender status of all payment media denominated in Deutsche Mark.
Below you will find information on and images of Deutsche Mark banknotes and coins.
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- How can I recognise counterfeit banknotes?
- Where can I obtain pictures of and information on the 5 DM banknotes, BBK3 series?
- Where can I obtain pictures of and information on the 10 DM banknotes, BBK3 series?
- Where can I obtain pictures of and information on the 20 DM banknotes, BBK3 series?
- Where can I obtain pictures of and information on the 50 DM banknotes, BBK3a series?
- Where can I obtain pictures of and information on the 100 DM banknotes, BBK3a series?
- Where can I obtain pictures of and information on the 200 DM banknotes, BBK3a series?
- Where can I obtain pictures of and information on the 500 DM banknotes, BBK3 series?
- Where can I obtain pictures of and information on the 1000 DM banknotes, BBK3 series?
- Where can I obtain pictures of and information on DM banknotes of earlier series?
How can I recognise counterfeit banknotes?
A standardised range of authenticity features such as tactile writing, watermarks, an inscribed security thread and a see-through register on all banknote denominations offer protection against counterfeiting.
The lower half of the large denomination number on the front of the DM500 and DM1,000 banknotes contains an additional authenticity feature: the colour changes from gold to green if the banknote is tilted.
Where can I obtain pictures of and information on the 5 DM banknotes, BBK3 series?
| feature | shaping |
|---|---|
| Colour | Greenish-yellow |
| Size | 122 x 62mm |
| Front side | Bettina von Armin (1785-1859), writer. In the background, a picture of Wiepesdorf castle and historic buildings of Berlin. |
| Reverse side | Brandenburg Gate |
| First issued | 27 October 1992 |
Where can I obtain pictures of and information on the 10 DM banknotes, BBK3 series?
| feature | shaping |
|---|---|
| Colour | Bluish-violet |
| Size | 130 x 65mm |
| Front side | Carl Friedrich Gauss (1777-1855), mathematician, astronomer, geodesist and physicist. In the background, buildings from historic Göttingen. |
| Reverse side | A sextant, like the one Gauss used for measuring. |
| First issued | 16 April 1991 |
Where can I obtain pictures of and information on the 20 DM banknotes, BBK3 series?
| feature | shaping |
|---|---|
| Colour | Bluish-green |
| Size | 138 x 68mm |
| Front side | Annette von Droste-Hülshoff (1797-1848), poet. In the background, historic buildings of the town of Meersburg. |
| Reverse side | A quill and a Beech Tree, referred to in Annette von Droste-Hülshoff’s short novel “Die Judenbuche” (Jews’ Beech Tree). |
| First issued | 30 March 1992 |
Where can I obtain pictures of and information on the 50 DM banknotes, BBK3a series?
| feature | shaping |
|---|---|
| Colour | Olive brown |
| Size | 146 x 71mm |
| Front side | Balthasar Neumann (1687-1753), baroque architect. In the background, historic buildings from the town of Würzburg. |
| Reverse side | Partial view of the stairway of the Würzburg residence and side-view of the St Benedict abbey church in Neresheim. |
| First issued | 02 February 1998 |
Where can I obtain pictures of and information on the 100 DM banknotes, BBK3a series?
| feature | shaping |
|---|---|
| Colour | Reddish-blue |
| Size | 154 x 74mm |
| Front side | Clara Schumann (1819-1896), pianist and composer. In the background, buildings from historic Leipzig. |
| Reverse side | A grand piano and the Hoch Conservatorium in Frankfurt where Clara Schumann taught for four years. |
| First issued | 01 August 1997 |
Where can I obtain pictures of and information on the 200 DM banknotes, BBK3a series?
| feature | shaping |
|---|---|
| Colour | Red-orange |
| Size | 162 x 77mm |
| Front side | Paul Ehrlich (1854-1915), doctor and serologist. In the background, historic buildings from the city of Frankfurt. |
| Reverse side | A microscope, used frequently by Paul Ehrlich in his work. |
| First issued | 01 August 1997 |
Where can I obtain pictures of and information on the 500 DM banknotes, BBK3 series?
| feature | shaping |
|---|---|
| Colour | Red-purple |
| Size | 170 x 80mm |
| Front side | Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717), painter, copper engraver and natural scientist. In the background, buildings from historical Nuremburg. |
| Reverse side | A dandelion, with the caterpillar and butterfly of the Pale Tussock Moth. |
| First issued | 27 October 1992 |
Where can I obtain pictures of and information on the 1000 DM banknotes, BBK3 series?
| feature | shaping |
|---|---|
| Colour | Reddish-brown |
| Size | 178 x 83mm |
| Front side | Wilhelm (1786-1859) and Jacob Grimm (1785-1863), linguists and collectors of German folklore. In the background, historic buildings from the city of Kassel. |
| Reverse side | The “German dictionary” and the “Royal Library” in Berlin, one of the domains of the Grimm Brothers. |
| First issued | 27 October 1992 |
Where can I obtain pictures of and information on DM banknotes of earlier series?
- Banknotes issued by the Bank deutscher Länder (German only)
- Banknotes issued during the currency reform (German only)
- Banknotes of the 1st series issued by the Deutsche Bundesbank (German only)
