Catalog
100 Mark Reichsbanknote
| Issuer | Reichsbank |
|---|---|
| Year | 1876 |
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| Reference(s) | P#10 |
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| Obverse lettering | REICHSBANKNOTE EIN HUNDERT MARK zahlt die Reichsbank-Hauptkasse in Berlin ohne Legitimations-Prüfung dieser Banknote Berlin, den 1 Januar 1876 Reichsbank-Directorium (Translation: Reichsbank Note One Hundred Mark will be paid for this bank note by the Reichsbank Head Office in Berlin without proof of identity Berlin, 1st January 1876 Reichsbank Directors) |
| Reverse description | Two winged cherubim flank a central guilloche medallion bearing the denomination '100 MARK', the figures kneeling and holding a laurel wreath that encircles the value cartouche. Dense text panels in fine letterpress fill the left and right borders, and the inscription 'EIN HUNDERT MARK' appears in bold capitals across the lower panel. The serial number is printed in red at the top of the note on either side. |
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The Reichsbank was established by the Banking Act of March 1875 and opened on 1 January 1876, replacing the Prussian Bank as the central issuing authority for the newly unified German state. This 100 Mark note belongs to the bank's inaugural issue — the first standardized paper currency to circulate across all German states under a single authority, displacing the patchwork of individual state and private bank notes that had preceded unification.
Reichsdruckerei, the Imperial Printing Office in Berlin, had been established specifically to centralize sensitive government document production. Early impressions from this period are known for inconsistent ink density across large runs.