The realm Mark (abbreviation RM) was from 1924 to 1948 official currency of the Weimar Republic and/or the German Reich as well as in the zones of occupation.

The term "Mark" is an old Germanic word and becomes since that 11. Century as weight designation (S. Mark (weight)), since that 15. Century derived from it also as (Courantmark) uses.

The realm Mark was introduced on 30 August 1924 as replacement for the paper Marks completely cancelled by the preceding inflation in the years 1922 and 1923, after the currency had been stabilized before by the introduction of the pension Marks. The rate of exchange from paper Marks to realm Marks amounted to 1.000.000.000 .000: 1 (one trillion to one).

A fictitious gold reserve was legally assigned to a realm Mark by 1/2790 kg Feingold. That corresponded the formal Vorkriegsgolddeckung. The realm Mark was not however contrary to the Goldmark (nearly) a pure gold standard currency and thus also not with the realm bank by the citizens at least partly in gold redeemable. Legally the redeeming obligation of the realm notes had been specified in gold after "§31 of the banking law - practically it was set however never into force! The emitted silver coins from 1 to 5 RM were all fractional coins and had the half Silbergehalt of the from 1 to 5 Marks. With outbreak of the 2.Weltkrieges the silver coins were hoarded to 2 - and 5-Reichsmark in large quantities of the population despite prohibition, so that they are to be received today still relatively frequently and cheaply for collecting tanks.

The realm Mark was practical a so-called gold core currency without visible gold coin circulation and thus a paper currency like today. Formally however still the former 10 was - and 20-Mark gold coins of the Kaiser era to 1938 legal tenders. Practically these did not emerge however in the exchange to their nominal value, since 1 realm Mark had already a smaller purchasing power than the Marks of 1914. The so-called "gold core" had essentially only a symbolic meaning in connection with clearing payment procedures with the foreign country.

1 realm Mark and/or pension Mark (RM) = 100 realm Pfennig and/or pension Pfennig (Rpf.)

With the currency reform from 20 June 1948 the realm Mark was introduced at the same time with the last pension Mark notes invalidly and in the three west sectors of Germany the German Mark, in the Soviet zone the German Mark (late Mark of the GDR).

See also

• German currency history, German money, German coins
• Mark, Goldmark, paper Mark, pension Mark, German Mark, Finnmark, Mark of the GDR
• Pfennig
• Euro

Related links

• 10-realm Mark of front
• 10-realm Mark of back
• Numerous illustrations of German notes

Articles in category "Realm Mark"

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