500 Deutsche Mark Gold Minted Bar (Mintage: 5,000 | Proof)
- Investment Gold: fine gold 999.9/1,000
- Gift gold: genuine gold investment
- Official coin: face value 25 dollars
- Investment GoldValue is based on pure fine gold and tracks the gold price
- Gift goldGive genuine investment gold for a christening or birthday
- Official coinLegal tender of the Republic of Liberia
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The last DM series, 500 marks
Maria Sibylla Merian,painter and naturalist.
A 1/200 ounce gold bar by Kettner Edelmetalle, just 15 × 8.5 millimetres in size, showing the design of the 500 DM note from the last series of Deutsche Mark notes.
Image greatly enlarged. The bar measures 15 × 8.5 millimetres.
Image of the front of the bar with the design of the 500 DM note: Maria Sibylla Merian
The face of the note
A dandelion with caterpillar and moth
Maria Sibylla Merian lived from 1647 to 1717, a painter, copperplate engraver and naturalist. In the background stand buildings of historic Nuremberg.
The back shows a dandelion on which sit the caterpillar and the moth of the “Grauer Streckfuß”. Maria Sibylla Merian was actually intended for the 100 DM note. Because it was difficult to find a suitable portrait of her, she swapped places with Clara Schumann.
The Bundesbank also chose portraits as the main motif because human perception “responds particularly well to faces”. The back was new: it shows what the people on the front worked on.
Maria Sibylla Merian
The numeral 500
Dandelion, caterpillar and moth
The series
Eight notes, nine faces
On 1 October 1990 the Bundesbank issued the first two notes of the new series, the 100 and the 200 DM notes. By 27 October 1992 the other six had followed, last of all the 5, the 500 and the 1000 DM notes.
The series was designed by Reinhold Gerstetter, a graphic artist at the Bundesdruckerei. Historians drew up proposals from an initial 70 to 80 names; the condition was an authentic portrait to work from. Five models were mirrored so that all portraits look towards the centre of the note.
Some things stayed from the Bundesbank’s first series: the colours of the values, the large portraits looking towards the centre and the word “Banknote” in Fraktur.
5 DM note1992
10 DM note1991
20 DM note1992
50 DM note1991
100 DM note1990
200 DM note1990
500 DM note1992
1000 DM note1992
The small format
The design of a note on 15 millimetres of gold
The 500 DM note measured 170 × 80 millimetres. The bar carries its design on a surface narrower than a 1-cent coin.
The paper note was work on the smallest scale. For a steel-engraved portrait, a good engraver needs “a good two to three months”, said the designer Reinhold Gerstetter. Experts from botanists to architects checked every detail, down to the exact number of windows in a building.
Some things on the paper notes could only be seen with a magnifying glass: on the right of the back lies a very fine background, with clefs and notes on the 100 DM note and with frogs and crowns on the 1000 DM note. The bar’s finish is proof.
At a glance
- Motif
- 500 DM note, Maria Sibylla Merian
- Last DM series
- Maker
- Kettner Edelmetalle
- Face value
- 25 Dollars
- Liberia
- Weight
- 1/200 ounce
- Fine weight
- 0.16 g
- Fineness
- 999.9/1,000
- Dimensions
- 15.00 × 8.50 mm
- Finish
- Proof
- Mintage
- 5,000 pieces
- Packaging
- Coin capsule
All details except the design as stated in our product specifications. The bars are products of Kettner Edelmetalle, not an issue of the Deutsche Bundesbank.
The last series of the Mark, designed by Reinhold Gerstetter.
Maria Sibylla Merian on 1/200 ounce of gold.
500 Deutsche Mark Gold Minted Bar – German Currency History in the Purest Fine Gold
- Fine gold as substance: 1/200 oz (0.16 g) of the purest fine gold with a fineness of 999.9/1,000 – the actual value and reason to buy this minted bar.
- Minting quality: Highest possible execution Proof (PP) with mirror-like surfaces and finely matted reliefs.
- Strictly limited: Mintage limited worldwide to 5,000 pieces.
- Investment goal: A physical gold investment whose value is based on the gold price and which enables wealth accumulation in small, manageable steps.
- Value preservation: For thousands of years, gold has served as a reliable store of value that preserves the purchasing power of your wealth.
- Hedging: Especially in times of rising prices and economic uncertainty, physical gold retains its substance.
- Design: A detailed tribute to the legendary 500 DM banknote featuring the naturalist Maria Sibylla Merian.
- Manufacturer: Kettner Edelmetalle.
- Country of origin: issued as legal tender of the Republic of Liberia, face value 25 dollars.
This minted bar combines genuine gold with a piece of German currency history. At first glance, it looks like a classic, compact bar – rectangular, with rounded and polished edges. However, through the stamped face value of 25 dollars, it attains the official status of a coin and is legal tender in its country of issue, the Republic of Liberia. This is precisely where the difference lies: a bar bearing a coin stamp and a face value is called a minted bar. What remains decisive, however, is the substance – 1/200 troy ounce (0.16 g) of fine gold with a fineness of 999.9/1,000, so-called Four Nines Fine Gold.
Despite the nostalgic design, what you are acquiring here is full-fledged investment gold. The value of this gold bar is based primarily on the fine gold it contains and moves with the gold price – the design is the personal touch, the gold is the actual basis of value. Gold is the oldest currency in the world, has served as a store of value for over 6,000 years, and has never had a value of zero, because it possesses an inherent, intrinsic value. As a physical gold investment, the minted bar is excellently suited for building wealth in small steps: small amounts of gold add up over the years to a considerable fortune. And anyone wishing to mark a special occasion such as a christening, a birthday, or Christmas gives, with this gift, not mere attention but genuine investment gold – a lasting asset.
Physical gold is considered a proven inflation hedge worldwide. While paper money can be multiplied almost at will, the supply of gold is inherently scarce – a key reason for its long-term value stability. It is not without reason that central banks around the globe hold vast gold reserves. The precious metal has also proven itself over generations as crisis protection: it is tradable worldwide, highly liquid, and can be converted back into cash at any time. There is also a tax advantage – profits from the sale of privately held gold are generally tax-free after a holding period of at least one year.
The Design: A Tribute to the 500 DM Banknote
The design references the final series issued by the Deutsche Bundesbank. One side shows the finely engraved portrait of Maria Sibylla Merian (1647–1717), the famous naturalist, artist, and copper engraver, whose image adorned the 500 DM banknote. The opposite side takes up her intricate natural studies – an artistic botanical depiction featuring a flower, a butterfly, and a caterpillar. The design is complemented by the seal of the Deutsche Bundesbank with the federal eagle, the word "Banknote" in old German Fraktur script, as well as the distinctive value "500". Around the edge, the coat of arms of the Republic of Liberia with a sailing ship, along with the inscriptions "1/200 OZ", "25 DOLLARS", and "9999 FINE GOLD", confirm the official character of this minting – no separate certificate is needed here, as the values are struck directly into the gold.
Strictly Limited Edition in Proof Quality
This edition is a true rarity: the worldwide mintage is strictly limited to 5,000 pieces. Through this limitation and the unbroken popularity of D-Mark designs, an interesting potential for value appreciation arises that can go beyond the pure material value. The bar was minted in the supreme discipline of Proof (PP) quality – mirror-smooth surfaces meet matted reliefs, bringing out even the finest details of the banknote print in striking relief. Formally, the piece thus falls into the category of collector's coins; at its core, however, it remains minted fine gold, whose value is based on the gold price. Anyone wishing to buy the minted bar secures both: a masterfully designed minting and the timeless permanence of real gold.
The 500 Deutsche Mark Gold Minted Bar at a Glance
- Precious metal: Gold, fineness 999.9/1,000 (Four Nines Fine Gold)
- Fine weight: 1/200 oz, equivalent to 0.16 g
- Face value: 25 dollars, Republic of Liberia
- Format: rectangular minted bar, approx. 15.00 × 8.50 mm
- Grade: Proof (PP), new condition
- Mintage: 5,000 pieces worldwide
- Packaging: sturdy coin capsule
- Manufacturer: Kettner Edelmetalle
Gold is the oldest currency in the world – it has outlasted every crisis, every paper currency, and every empire. With the 500 Deutsche Mark Gold Minted Bar, you secure this proven value preservation in a strictly limited edition, refined in Proof quality.
Product depiction may differ from the final product.
