Deutsche Mark
The Deutsche Mark (German: [ˈdɔʏtʃə ˈmaʁk] ⓘ; English: German mark), abbreviated "DM" or "D-Mark" ([ˈdeːˌmaʁk] ⓘ), was the official currency of West Germany from 1948 until 1990 and later the unified Germany from 1990 until the adoption of the euro in 2002. In English, it was typically called the "Deutschmark" (/ˈdɔɪtʃmɑːrk/). One Deutsche Mark was divided into 100 pfennigs.
"DEM" redirects here. For other uses, see DEM (disambiguation).
D-Mark
DEM
Mark
Mark
DM
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$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#1__answer--6DEEZ_NUTS$_$_$
Pfennig
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pf
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DM5, DM10, DM20, DM50, DM100, DM200
DM500, DM1,000
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1pf, 2pf, 5pf, 10pf, 50pf, DM1, DM2, DM5
None, previously:
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Trizone (1948–1949) -
West Germany (1949–1990) -
West Berlin (1949–1990) -
East Germany (July–October 1990) - Germany (1990–2002)
-
UNMIK (1999–2002)[1]
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FR Yugoslavia (1992–2002, in parallel with the Yugoslav dinar until 2002)
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Republic of Montenegro (1996–2002, in parallel with the Yugoslav dinar until 2002)
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Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (1992–1998, in parallel with the Bosnia and Herzegovina dinar)
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Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia (1991–1996, in parallel with the Bosnia and Herzegovina dinar, Croatian dinar, and Croatian kuna)
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Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia (1993–1995, in parallel with the United States dollar, French franc, Croatian kuna, and Yugoslav dinar)
- UNTAES (1996–1998, in parallel with the Croatian kuna and Yugoslav dinar)[2]
- Bayerisches Hauptmünzamt, Munich (Mint mark: D)
- Hamburgische Münze (J)
- Staatliche Münze Berlin (A)
- Staatliche Münzen Baden-Württemberg, formed by Staatliche Münze Karlsruhe (G) and Staatliche Münze Stuttgart (F)
1.4%, December 2001
13 March 1979
31 December 1998
1 January 1999
1 March 2002
DM 1.95583
It was first issued under Allied occupation in 1948 to replace the Reichsmark and served as the Federal Republic of Germany's official currency from its founding the following year. On 31 December 1998, the Council of the European Union fixed the irrevocable exchange rate, effective 1 January 1999, for German mark to euros as DM 1.95583 = €1.[3] In 1999, the Deutsche Mark was replaced by the euro; its coins and banknotes remained in circulation, defined in terms of euros, until the introduction of euro notes and coins on 1 January 2002. The Deutsche Mark ceased to be legal tender immediately upon the introduction of the euro—in contrast to the other eurozone states, where the euro and legacy currency circulated side by side for up to two months. Mark coins and banknotes continued to be accepted as valid forms of payment in Germany until 1 March 2002.
The Deutsche Bundesbank has guaranteed that all German marks in cash form may be changed into euros indefinitely, and one may do so in person at any branch of the Bundesbank in Germany. Banknotes and coins can even be sent to the Bundesbank by mail.[4] In 2012, it was estimated that as many as 13.2 billion marks were in circulation, with one poll from 2011 showing a narrow majority of Germans favouring the currency's restoration (although only a minority believed this would bring any economic benefit).[5][6] Polls in the early 2020s indicated only a minority of Germans supported reintroduction of the Deutsche Mark.[7]
Stability[edit]
The German mark had a reputation as one of the world's most stable currencies; this was based on the monetary policy of the Bundesbank. The policy was "hard" in relation to the policies of certain other central banks in Europe. The "hard" and "soft" was in respect to the aims of inflation and political interference. This policy was the foundation of the European Central Bank's present policy towards the euro. The German mark's stability was greatly apparent in 1993, when speculation on the French franc and other European currencies caused a change in the European Exchange Rate Mechanism. However, it should be remembered that "hard" is relative only if it is compared to other currencies, as in its 53-year history, the purchasing power of the German mark was reduced by over 70%.
Spelling and pronunciation[edit]
The German name of the currency is Deutsche Mark (fem., German pronunciation: [ˈdɔʏtʃə ˈmaʁk]); its plural form in standard German is the same as the singular. In German, the adjective "deutsche" (adjective for "German" in feminine singular nominative form) is capitalized because it is part of a proper name, while the noun "Mark", like all German nouns, is always capitalized. The English loanword "Deutschmark" has a slightly different spelling and one syllable fewer (possibly due to the frequency of silent e in English, or due to English's lack of adjectival endings), and a plural form in -s.
In Germany and other German speaking countries, the currency's name was often abbreviated as D-Mark (fem., [ˈdeːmaʁk]) or simply Mark (fem.) with the latter term also often used in English. Like Deutsche Mark, D-Mark and Mark do not take the plural in German when used with numbers (like all names of units), the singular being used to refer to any amount of money (e.g. eine (one) Mark and dreißig (thirty) Mark). Sometimes, a very colloquial plural form of Mark, Märker [ˈmɛʁkɐ] was used either as hypocoristic form or to refer to a small number of D-Mark coins or bills, e.g. Gib mir mal ein paar Märker ("Just give me a few marks") and Die lieben Märker wieder ("The lovely money again", with an ironic undertone).
The subdivision unit is spelled Pfennig (masc.; [ˈpfɛnɪç]), which unlike Mark does have a commonly used plural form: Pfennige ([ˈpfɛnɪɡə]), but the singular could also be used instead with no difference in meaning. (e.g.: ein (one) Pfennig, dreißig (thirty) Pfennige or dreißig (thirty) Pfennig). The official form is singular.