German Empire 1871-1918

1) Recognition - Name - Country of Origin
One of the most popular collectible and gold investment areas is the GERMAN EMPIRE (DEUTSCHES KAISERREICH), covering the years 1871 to 1918. The coins were minted in various, some still existing, mints and were issued in the following former territories: ANHALT, BADEN, BAVARIA (BAYERN), BRUNSWICK-LÜNEBURG (BRAUNSCHWEIG-LÜNEBURG), BREMEN, HAMBURG, HESSE (HESSEN), LÜBECK, MECKLENBURG-SCHWERIN, MECKLENBURG-STRELITZ, OLDENBURG, PRUSSIA (PREUSSEN), REUSS -older line- (REUSS -ältere Linie-), REUSS -younger line- (REUSS -jüngere Linie-), SAXONY (SACHSEN), SAXONY-ALTENBURG (SACHSEN-ALTENBURG), SAXONY-COBURG-GOTHA (SACHSEN-COBURG-GOTHA), SAXONY-MEININGEN (SACHSEN-MEININGEN), SAXONY-WEIMAR-EISENACH (SACHSEN-WEIMAR-EISENACH), SCHAUMBURG-LIPPE, SCHWARZBURG-RUDOLSTADT, SCHWARZBURG-SONDERSHAUSEN, WALDECK-PYRMONT, and WÜRTTEMBERG. The coins were minted by ten different mints: Berlin -A-, Hanover -B-, Frankfurt -C-, Munich -D-, Dresden -E-, Muldenhütten -E-, Stuttgart -F-, Karlsruhe -G-, Darmstadt -H-, Hamburg -J-. The gold coins have a fineness of 900/1000.

2) Description of the Coin
On the obverse (avers) side of the coins, various rulers or reigning heads were depicted in profile. They were surrounded by their name and origin, with the exception of the Hanseatic cities of Bremen and Hamburg, where the respective city coats of arms were used. Below the coat of arms or portrait, the mintmark was indicated. On the reverse side, the Imperial Eagle was depicted along with the denomination and the respective year of minting.

3) Face Value - Legal Tender - Value
The coins were minted and issued with three different denominations, namely 5, 10, and 20 Mark.

4) Other Units - Denominations
Additional data on issuance and weight:

Face Value	Weight	Fine Weight	Nominal	Minting Years
5 Mark	1,991 g	1,792 g	5 MARK	1877-1878
10 Mark	3,982 g	3,584 g	10 MARK	1872-1914
20 Mark	7,965 g	7,169 g	20 MARK	1871-1914

5) Special Features - Minting Years - History - Mintage
Due to the strong influence of a) rarity, b) condition, and to some extent c) popularity on the prices and values of this collectible area, there can be significant price differences. Some coins were only minted in few thousand pieces, and their values can reach high five-figure euro amounts, making them highly sought-after collectibles. Other Reichsgold coins, on the other hand, were minted in millions, making them primarily traded as pure gold investment coins even today.