5 oz Silver Deutsche Mark - 75 Years Heiermann 2026 Proof (Mintage: 99 | incl. 500,000 DM Special Briquette | Proof)
- Iconic design: designed by Albert Holl
- Real D-Mark: pressed into a block
- Elegant packaging: case with certificate
- Iconic designEagle and value true to the 1951 original
- Real D-MarkGreat conversation piece made from shredded 500 notes
- Elegant packagingDelivered in a premium case with certificate
1 ×5 oz Silver Deutsche Mark - 75 Years of the Heiermann 2026 (Mintage: 250 | Proof)
1 ×1/2 Million DM in 500 Bills (Shredded)
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ShareDeutsche Mark · 2026 Edition
The silver five that many simply called the Heiermann.When memory turns to silver.
You are looking at the value side.
From May 1952 it jingled in the pockets of the young Federal Republic: the silver five-mark coin with the eagle, first struck in 1951. 75 years later its image returns as a homage, on five ounces of fine silver.
- Mintage 99 pieces
- 155.52 g
It was never just money. It was a promise.
On 20 June 1948, every resident of the three western zones exchanged 40 Reichsmarks for 40 D-Marks, the “Kopfgeld” or per-head quota. The very next day, shop windows were full to bursting. The new currency set off the economic miracle.
In the Bundesbank’s words, the D-Mark enjoyed trust from its first day and kept it to the very end. Over five decades it also became an international symbol of stable money.
12 billion
Some never fully let go of it: according to the Bundesbank, around twelve billion D-Marks have still not been exchanged, more than half of them in coins.
From the Kopfgeld to the farewell
Half a century of the Mark
1948
A new beginning
On 20 June the currency reform takes effect. From the next day, the Deutsche Mark is the only legal tender in the three western zones.
1950
The One with the oak leaves
At the end of 1950 the one-mark coin enters circulation, designed by Josef Bernhart of Munich. Its motif remains unchanged until the farewell of the D-Mark.
1951
The Heiermann
Albert Holl’s silver five-mark coin is struck for the first time and circulates from May 1952. It remains the only circulation coin of the Federal Republic made of silver.
1957
The Bundesbank
On 1 August the Deutsche Bundesbank takes over from the Bank deutscher Länder, which had issued the first D-Marks in 1948.
1990
One Mark for everyone
“If the D-Mark comes, we stay. If it doesn’t, we’ll go to it” was a slogan at the Monday demonstrations. On 1 July 1990 it came to the GDR, even before German reunification.
2001
The farewell
In farewell, the Deutsche Bundesbank issues the One as a gold coin, one million pieces in fine gold. Since 1 January 2002 Germans have paid in euros.
The motif
The Heiermann in large format
The value side recalls the Silberadler, the silver five-mark coin whose design by Albert Holl the federal cabinet chose in 1951. Only this time it measures 65 instead of 29 millimetres.
- The large Five
- BUNDESREPUBLIK DEUTSCHLAND and DEUTSCHE MARK run around the edge, and the year sits between two stars. In the curve of the Five sits a small round mark with the number 75.
- Silver for everyday life
- The Silberadler remained the only circulation coin of the Federal Republic made of silver. Its withdrawal from 1975 ended, in the Bundesbank’s words, “a thousand-year-old tradition of silver coins in Germany”.
- The eagle
- The reverse belongs to the eagle. On 65 millimetres every wing looks large and clear, and the wings carry the face value and Republic of Liberia.
Some things pass.
The memory remains.
The D-Mark is history. Its image in precious metal remains, for you and for those you will one day pass it on to.
99
pieces in the edition
155.52 g fine silver · 65 mm
An own edition by Kettner Edelmetalle, not an issue of the Federal Republic of Germany or the Deutsche Bundesbank. The issuing country is the Republic of Liberia, hence the face value in dollars.
75 Years of the Heiermann: 5 Ounces of Fine Silver in Proof Quality – Plus Half a Million Deutsche Mark
- Strictly limited: a set mintage of only 99 pieces worldwide – there will be no hundredth package with a special briquette
- Growth opportunities: high value appreciation potential due to the strict limitation and the unbroken demand for Deutsche Mark designs
- Rarity: an extremely rare collector's coin, combined with a gift from genuine currency history
- Investment goal: a rare collector's set that, thanks to its strict limitation, holds high value appreciation potential
- Minting quality: the highest possible minting quality, Proof (PP), with deep mirror shine and matted reliefs
- Format: 5 ounces (155.52 g) of silver in a fineness of 999/1,000, with an impressive diameter of 65.00 mm
- Design: silver eagle and bold value number "5" based on the design by Prof. Albert Holl, complemented by the anniversary emblem "75 Years of the Deutsche Mark"
- Manufacturer: Kettner Edelmetalle (in-house minting)
- Country of origin: Republic of Liberia as issuing country, country of origin Germany
- Gift included in the set: special briquette with 1/2 million DM in shredded 500 DM notes
From May 1952 onwards, it jingled in the wallets of the young Federal Republic of Germany: the silver five-mark coin with the eagle, first minted in 1951 and lovingly known, especially in the north, as the "Heiermann". The nickname is believed to derive from the sailors' term for their pay ("Heuer"). Hardly any coin represents the economic miracle, the new beginning, and the strong Deutsche Mark as much as this one. Exactly 75 years after its first minting, the icon returns. Heavier, bigger, shinier. And because a legend deserves a worthy counterpart, this 5-ounce silver Deutsche Mark coin comes with a very special gift – a pressed block made from half a million Deutsche Mark.
A Design Everyone Recognizes Instantly
The value side follows the classic design of the historical 5-DM coins: at the center sits the large, smoothly polished "5", surrounded by the bold capital letters "BUNDESREPUBLIK DEUTSCHLAND" and "DEUTSCHE MARK". Below that is the year 2026 between two stars, followed by the mint mark "D", as once used by the Munich mint. New is the delicate round emblem within the arch of the digit, bearing the inscription "Deutsche Mark – 75 Jahre". A fine beaded circle frames the image, just like the original.
The reverse belongs to the eagle. Widely spread, strictly structured wings, scale-patterned breast feathers, an open beak, powerful talons – at 65 millimeters, the heraldic bird appears truly monumental. On the wings are the face value "FIFTY DOLLARS" and "Republic of Liberia", as this coin is issued by the Republic of Liberia. Thanks to the Proof minting, the matted reliefs seem to grow directly out of the deep, dark mirrored surfaces. The clean reeding gleams along the edge.
Original and Tribute in Direct Comparison
- Historical silver eagle (1951–1974): 11.2 g gross weight, 625/1000 silver, approx. 7 g fine silver, 29 mm diameter
- 2026 tribute: 155.68 g gross weight, 155.52 g fine silver in 999/1,000, 65.00 mm diameter
- Silver content: a good 22 times that of the original
- Condition: Proof instead of circulated or Brilliant Uncirculated quality
The historical original was minted in enormous quantities and withdrawn from circulation on August 1, 1975. Circulated pieces are therefore comparatively easy to find – but in flawless mirror-shine quality, hardly ever. This is exactly where the new edition comes in. Whoever owns it holds a large-format piece in their hands, revealing details that could only be guessed at on the 29-millimeter coin. A small care tip: collectors should only touch mirrored surfaces with cotton gloves, so the shine remains preserved for decades.
The Gift: 500,000 Deutsche Mark in a Special Briquette
Included as a gift with the set is a solid, cuboid block made from 1/2 million DM in 500 DM notes – shredded. Pressed from a single denomination, it displays a mosaic of violet, rose, turquoise, mint green, and white. Here and there, printed fragments of the original notes can still be recognized. The 500 DM note was, after all, the second-highest denomination of the Deutsche Mark.
A band in the German national colors bears the inscriptions "DM 500,000.–", "One of the world's most successful currencies" and "Die Deutsche Mark 1948 – 2001". Also included is an oval marking stating "LIMITIERT" (LIMITED) with handwritten numbering, and a red seal: "Sonder Brikett – Sortenreine 500-DM-Scheine" (Special Briquette – Single-Denomination 500 DM Notes). A wonderful conversation piece for any display case. And a quiet commentary on the fact that paper money fades, while precious metal remains.
Why 99 Sets Make the Difference
The 5-ounce coin itself is already limited to 250 pieces. In combination with the special briquette, however, this package exists with a mintage of only 99 pieces. Such a very low mintage meets a collecting field that has been closed since the introduction of the euro: no new Deutsche Mark circulation coins are being added, but new collectors certainly are. This combination makes the set a genuine rarity with corresponding value appreciation potential – even though future price developments naturally cannot be seriously predicted.
The Heiermann was the last silver coin in everyday German life. This tribute brings it back – more than 22 times as silver-rich and in the finest minting quality.
Tangible Value Preservation – Substance That Remains
Silver has accompanied humanity for millennia as a coinage metal. Physical precious metal has an intrinsic value, is durable, globally recognized, and can be passed down through generations – value preservation you can literally hold in your hand. Those who, alongside this collector's rarity, also think about crisis protection often like to supplement their holdings with small denominations in gold and silver. These are considered a popular medium of exchange for various emergency situations at home or abroad, and can be easily carried in a wallet while traveling, without attracting attention. When it comes to inflation hedging as well, many people have always trusted real metal rather than mere promises.
Who This Set Is Made For
For collectors of German coin history who seek something special. For everyone who grew up with the Deutsche Mark and wants to preserve their memories in precious metal. And for anyone looking for an unforgettable gift for a birthday, anniversary, or retirement. Additional silver coins from our range complement this edition excellently – but with only 99 sets available, in the end it simply comes down to speed.
Product depiction may differ from the final product.
