5 Deutsche Mark

The Deutsche Notenbank was the central bank of the German Democratic Republic, and this 1955 issue belongs to the early period of East Germany's attempt to establish a distinct monetary identity separate from the West German Deutschmark, which carried the same name and denomination. Giesecke & Devrient, a Munich-based firm with deep roots in German banknote printing, handled production from Leipzig — a practical arrangement given the city's position in the East, though the firm itself straddled both German states during this period.

The watermark remains the sole listed security feature, modest even by the standards of the time.