Numistify guide
Which German Coins Are Silver? Silver Content by Year
German silver coins changed with each state: the Empire, the Weimar Republic, the Third Reich and the Federal Republic each set their own standard. Here is every silver coin by date, with its fineness and silver content.
The short answer
The German Empire struck its silver coins — 20 and 50 pfennig, ½, 1, 2, 3 and 5 mark — in .900 silver from 1873 to 1919. The Weimar Republic used .500 silver for its 1 and 3 mark and its 1, 2, 3 and 5 Reichsmark coins (1924–1933). Under the Third Reich the 2 Reichsmark was .625 and the 5 Reichsmark .900, and circulating silver ended in 1939. The Federal Republic struck the 5 mark in .625 silver from 1951 to 1974, and silver 10 mark commemoratives from 1972 to 2001 (.625, then .925 from 1998).
German silver coins by year
| Denomination | Years | Fineness | Silver (troy oz) | KM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Mark | 1873–1887 | .900 | 0.1607 | KM-7 |
| 20 Pfennig | 1873–1877 | .900 | 0.0321 | KM-5 |
| 5 Mark | 1874–1915 | .900 | 0.8038 | — |
| 50 Pfennig | 1875–1903 | .900 | 0.0804 | KM-6 |
| 2 Mark | 1876–1915 | .900 | 0.3215 | — |
| 1 Mark | 1891–1916 | .900 | 0.1607 | KM-14 |
| 1/2 Mark | 1905–1919 | .900 | 0.0804 | KM-17 |
| 3 Mark | 1908–1918 | .900 | 0.4822 | — |
| 1 Mark | 1924–1925 | .500 | 0.0804 | KM-42 |
| 3 Mark | 1924–1925 | .500 | 0.2411 | KM-43 |
| 1 Reichsmark | 1925–1927 | .500 | 0.0804 | KM-44 |
| 2 Reichsmark | 1925–1931 | .500 | 0.1608 | KM-45 |
| 3 Reichsmark | 1925–1933 | .500 | 0.2411 | KM-74 |
| 5 Reichsmark | 1925–1933 | .500 | 0.4019 | KM-56 |
| 2 Reichsmark | 1933–1939 | .625 | 0.1608 | KM-93 |
| 5 Reichsmark | 1933–1939 | .900 | 0.4016 | KM-94 |
| 5 Mark | 1951–1974 | .625 | 0.2251 | KM-112.1 |
| 10 Mark | 1972–1997 | .625 | 0.3115 | — |
| 10 Mark | 1998–2001 | .925 | 0.4610 | — |
Not every coin is listed. This table is for reference: it covers the silver coins in Numistify’s catalogue and may not include every coin, date, variety or special issue. If your coin is not here, look it up in a world coin catalogue such as Numista or the Standard Catalog of World Coins, or ask your local coin shop.
Reading the table
Fineness is the share of silver in the coin: .900 means 90% silver. Silver (troy oz) is the pure silver it contains, the figure that sets its metal value — multiply it by the day’s silver price. KM is the coin’s number in the Standard Catalog of World Coins, the quickest way to look it up. Our guide to silver and gold melt value shows the calculation.
Telling them apart
Two 5 Reichsmark coins look like a step down but are not. The Weimar 5 Reichsmark (1925–1933) is a large 25 g coin at .500; the Third Reich 5 Reichsmark (1933–1939) is smaller, 13.88 g, but .900 — and contains about the same silver.
Nothing after 1939 in the Third Reich series is silver.
The Federal Republic 5 mark of 1951–1974 contains about a quarter of the silver of the Imperial 5 mark.
A silver 20 pfennig exists: the Imperial coin of 1873–1877.
What they are worth
Silver content sets a floor, not the value. A scarce date, a rare mint or a coin in fine condition can be worth far more than its metal, so check before selling any coin for its silver: look it up in a world coin catalogue such as the Standard Catalog of World Coins or the NGC World Coin Price Guide, compare auction records and eBay sold listings for the same coin in the same condition, and ask your local coin shop. Our guide to what your coin is worth walks through each step, and are old foreign coins worth anything? covers sorting a mixed lot.
Questions people ask
Are old German marks silver?
Imperial marks of 1873–1919 are .900 silver. Weimar marks and Reichsmarks of 1924–1933 are .500 silver, Third Reich 2 and 5 Reichsmark coins (1933–1939) are .625 and .900, and the Federal Republic 5 mark of 1951–1974 is .625 silver.
Is the German 5 mark silver?
The Federal Republic 5 mark struck from 1951 to 1974 is .625 silver, 11.2 g, with about 0.23 troy ounces of silver. The Imperial 5 mark of 1874–1915 is .900 silver, about 0.80 troy ounces.
Are German 10 mark coins silver?
The commemorative 10 mark coins of 1972–2001 are silver: .625 fine until 1997 and .925 from 1998.
When did Germany stop using silver in circulating coins?
Circulating silver ended in 1939 under the Third Reich. The Federal Republic later struck the 5 mark in .625 silver from 1951 to 1974.
Related guides
Silver and gold melt value — turning silver weight into a metal value.
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