German Reichsmark

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German Reichsmark
Reichsmark (German)


20 Reichsmark (1939)	1 Reichsmark coin

User(s)

Germany

Pegged by

Belgian franc, Bohemian and Moravian koruna, Bulgarian lev,Danish krone, French franc, Italian lira, Luxembourg franc, Dutch gulden, Norwegian krone, Polish złoty, Serbian dinar, Slovak koruna, Ukrainian karbovanets in WWII as similar rates

Subunit

1/100

Rpf.

Reichsmark

Coins

1, 2, 5, 10, 50 Reichspfennig
1, 2, 5 Reichsmark

Banknotes

5, 10 , 20 , 50 , 100, 1000 Reichsmark

Central bank

Reichsbank

This infobox shows the latest status before this currency was rendered obsolete.

The Reichsmark (English: Realm Mark; symbol: RM) was the currency in Germany from 1924 until June 20, 1948. The Reichsmark was subdivided into 100 Reichspfennig.

1 History
2 Coins
3 Banknotes
4 Occupation Reichsmark
5 Military Reichsmark
6 Concentration Camps' Reichsmark
7 See also
8 References
9 External links

[edit] History

The Reichsmark was introduced in 1924 as a permanent replacement for the Papiermark. This was necessary due to the 1920s German inflation which had reached its peak in 1923. The exchange rate between the old Papiermark and the Reichsmark was 1 RM = 10¹² Papiermark (one "trillion" in modern English, one "billion" in German and other European languages, see long and short scales). To stabilize the economy and to smooth the transition, the Papiermark was not directly replaced by the Reichsmark, but by the Rentenmark, an interim currency backed by the Deutsche Rentenbank, owning industrial and agricultural real estate assets. The Reichsmark was put on the gold standard at the rate previously used by the Goldmark, with the U.S. dollar worth 4.2 RM.

During the Second World War, Germany established fixed exchange rates between the Reichsmark and the currencies of the occupied and allied countries, often set so as to give the Germans economic benefits. The rates were as follows:

Currency	Date set	Value in RM
Belgian franc	May 1940	0.1
Belgian franc	July 1940	0.08
Bohemian and Moravian koruna	1939	0.1
Bulgarian lev	1940	32.75
Danish krone	1940	1
French franc	May 1940	0.05
Italian lira	1943	0.1
Luxembourg franc	May 1940	0.25
Luxembourg franc	July 1940	0.1
Dutch gulden	May 10, 1940	1.5
Dutch gulden	July 17, 1940	1.327
Norwegian krone	1940	0.6
Norwegian krone	?	0.57
Polish złoty	1939	0.5
British Pound (Channel Islands)	1940	5 (initially)
Serbian dinar	April 1941	0.004
Slovak koruna	1939	0.1
Slovak koruna	October 1, 1940	0.086
Ukrainian karbovanets	1942	0.1

After the Second World War, the Reichsmark continued to circulate in Germany, with new banknotes printed in the U.S. and U.S.S.R. as well as coins. The Reichsmark was replaced in June 1948 by the Deutsche Mark in West Germany and later in the same year by the East German Mark ("Mark der DDR" or "Ostmark") in East Germany.

[edit] Coins

5-Reichsmark coins without and with the Nazi swastika

Aluminium 50 Reichspfennig

In 1924, coins were introduced in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10 and 50 Reichspfennig, and 1 and 3 Mark (not Reichsmark). The 1 and 2 Reichspfennig were struck in bronze, with the 5, 10 and 50 Reichspfennig in aluminium-bronze and the two highest denominations in .500 fineness silver. In 1925, .500 fineness silver 1 and 2 Reichsmark coins were introduced for circulation, along with the first commemorative 3 and 5 Reichsmark coins. In 1927, nickel 50 Reichspfennig coins were introduced along with regular-type 5 Reichsmark coins, followed by 3 Reichsmark in 1931.

4 Reichspfennig coins were issued in 1932 as part of a failed attempt by the Reichskanzler Heinrich Brüning to reduce prices through use of 4 Reichspfennig pieces instead of 5 Reichspfennig coins. Known as the Brüningtaler or Armer Heinrich ("poor Heinrich"), they were demonetized the following year. See Brüningtaler (German).

Production of silver 1 Reichsmark coins ended in 1927. In 1933, nickel 1 Reichsmark coins were introduced, and new silver 2 and 5 Reichsmark coins were introduced which were smaller but struck in .625 and .900 fineness so as to maintain the amount of silver. Production of the 3 Reichsmark coin ceased altogether. In 1935, aluminium 50 Reichspfennig coins were introduced, although nickel was again used in 1938 and 1939. From 1936, all coins except the 1 Reichsmark and the first version 5 Reichsmark Paul von Hindenburg (1935-36) bore the Nazi insignia.

During the Second World War, bronze and aluminium-bronze coins were replaced by zinc and aluminium, with the 2 Reichspfennig and denominations over 50 Reichspfennig no longer issued. The last production of coins bearing the swastika was in 1944 for the 5 and 50 Reichspfennig and 1945 for the 1 and 10 Reichspfennig.

After the war, the Allies issued coins in relatively small numbers between 1945 and 1948. 1 Reichspfennig were struck in 1945 and 1946), 5 Reichspfennig in 1947 and 1948, and 10 Reichspfennig between 1945 and 1948. The coins were issued with designs very similar to those of the Third Reich. Only the swastika was removed from beneath the eagle on the obverse.

[edit] Banknotes

Image:1935-6-24-100.jpg

A 100 Reichsmark banknote from Germany of 1935 (http://www.germannotes.com)

The first Reichsmark banknotes was introduced by the Reichsbank and state banks such as those of Bavaria, Saxony and Baden. The first Reichsbank issue of 1924 came in denominations of 10, 20, 50, 100 and 1000 Reichsmark. This was followed by a second issue in the same denominations, dated between 1929 and 1936. A 20 Reichsmark note was introduced in 1939, using a design taken from an unissued Austrian 100 schilling banknote type. 5 Reichsmark notes were issued in 1942. Throughout this period, the Rentenbank also issued banknotes denominated in Rentenmark, mostly in low denominations.

Following their occupation of Germany, the Allies issued banknotes dated 1944. These were printed in similar colours with different sizes for groups of denominations. Notes were issued for ½, 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 1000 Mark (not Reichsmark). The issuer was the Alliierte Militärbehörde with In Umlauf gesetzt in Deutschland printed on the obverse.

In 1947 Rhineland-Palatinate issued 5 and 10 Pfennig notes with Geldshein on them.

[edit] Occupation Reichsmark

2 Reichsmark of the occupied territories

Coins and banknotes for circulation in the occupied territories during WWII by the Reichskreditkassen. Holed, zinc coins for 5 and 10 Reichspfennig coins were struck in 1940 and 1941. Paper money was issued between 1939 and 1945 in denominations of 50 Reichspfennig, 1, 2, 5, 20 and 50 Reichsmark. These served as legal tender alongside the currency of the occupied countries.

[edit] Military Reichsmark

The military Reichsmark was used by the German Armed Forces from 1942-1944. The first issue was denominated in 1, 5, 10 and 50 Reichspfennig, but was valued at 1 military Reichspfennig = 10 German Reichspfennig. This series was unifaced. The second issue of 1, 5, 10 and 50 Reichsmark were equal in value to the German Reichsmark and was printed on both sides.

[edit] Concentration Camps' Reichsmark

Issue of Lagergeld prisoner of war camp.

Various issues were used in concentration and Prisoner of war camps. None were legal tender in Germany itself.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

Krause, Chester L. and Clifford Mishler (1991). Standard Catalog of World Coins: 1801-1991, 18th ed., Krause Publications. ISBN 0-87341-150-1.
Pick, Albert (1994). Standard Catalog of World Paper Money: General Issues, Colin R. Bruce II and Neil Shafer (editors), 7th ed., Krause Publications. ISBN 0-87341-207-9.