FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY
SPECIAL GOLD PROOF ISSUE COMMEMORATING THE RETIREMENT OF THE MARK CURRENCY
CERTIFIED BY NGC PROOF 70 ULTRA CAMEO
OBV: GERMAN EAGLE ARMS; MINTMARK BELOW DIVIDES LEGEND.
REV: DENOMINATION CENTER, VALUE FLANKED BY OAK LEAF CLUSTERS; DATE BELOW.
KM # 203
LONG CONSIDERED ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST STABLE CURRENCIES, THE DEUTSCHE MARK WAS RETIRED IN 2001 TO MAKE WAY FOR CONVERSION TO THE EURO IN 2002.
THE DEUTSCHE MARK (DEUTSCHMARK IN ENGLISH OR JUST MARK OR D-MARK COLLOQUIALLY IN GERMANY) REPLACED THE REICHMARK DURING ALLIED OCCUPATION IN 1948.
WEST GERMANY ISSUED THE DEUTSCHE MARK FROM 1948-1990, AND A REUNIFIED GERMANY CONTINUED ITS ISSUE FROM 1990-1999 (AND CIRCULATED UNTIL REPLACED BY THE EURO IN 2002).
THE BUNDESBANK WAS AUTHORIZED THROUGH LEGISLATION BY THE GERMAN GOVERNMENT PASSED ON DECEMBER 27, 2000 TO ISSUE THIS SPECIAL PROOF GOLD COIN TO COMMEMORATE THE ISSUANCE OF THE LAST MARK.
INSTEAD OF "BUNDESREPUBLIK DEUTSCHLAND" ON THE OBVERSE LEGEND, THE LEGEND "DEUTSCHE BUNDESBANK" APPEARS.
THIS ISSUE WAS LIMITED TO ONE-MILLION (200,000 MINTED AT EACH OF THE 5 MINTS: BERLIN-"A", MUNICH-"D", KARLSRUHE-"G", HAMBURG-"J" AND STUTTGART "F").
THIS "END OF AN ERA" LAST MARK WAS SO POPULAR THAT THE ENTIRE ISSUE SOLD OUT WITHIN AN HOUR OF ITS RELEASE.
CONTAINS 11.85 GRAMS OF .999 PURE GOLD (.3806 OZ AGW)
23.5 MM IN DIAMETER
HAMBURG MINT
