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German Empire (Kingdoms Prussia Hanover)

Kingdoms. Prussia, Hanover, Bavaria, Saxony, Wurtemberg. Duchies Etc.-Baden, Brunswick, Hesse Darmstadt, Mecklenburg, Saxe-Coburg, Saxe-Meiningen, Saxe-Wiemar, Nassau, Oldenburg, Lippe, Etc. Hanse Towns. - Bremen, Hamburg, Lubec.

The Imperial Government introduced, in 1873, a gold standard, at the same time constituting the mark of 100 pfennige as the unit of account. The mark is a silver coin; but the mark of account is valued from the ten mark gold piece equal 9s. 9½d. sterling. The mint par is reckoned at 20 marks, 42½ pfennige per £1; making the mark of account equal 1134 d. sterling.

COINS.

Gold.-Pieces of 10 marks, 900 (or 9-10ths) fine, weighing 3.9825 grammes, or 61.459 grains troy, equal 9s. 9½d. sterling. Pieces of 20 marks and 5 marks are also struck of proportional value.

The subsidiary coins are:-In silver, 5 mark, 2 mark, I mark, and 1½ mark pieces: In nickel, 10 pfennige and 5 pfennige pieces and in copper, 2 pfennige and I pfennige pieces. The Prussian silver pieces of I and 2 thalers are valued at 3 marks per thaler. But silver is not a legal tender beyond 50 marks. The law of the empire fixes the value of the 10 mark gold piece at 3/3 Prussian thalers; also at 16 marks 103/3 schillinge Hamburg currency. The chief mints are at Berlin, Frankfort and Hamburg.