Martin M. writes:
I recently found a 20 Mark gold German coin dated 1889. On one side has a coat of arms of an eagle, says Deutches Reich – 1889 – 20 Marks. The other side has a portrait of Wilhelm II Deutscher Kaiser Konig V. Preussen. I was wondering if you had any idea of its value
The coin is a 20 Mark of the Kingdom of Prussia, a city state located in Northern Germany. This piece was minted under King Wilhelm II under an already united Germany. The date is common with more than 10 million pieces struck and should have an “A” mint mark
The coin was a trade unit used as money between countries, though the coin was legal tender in Prussia and in all of Germany. Large numbers of these coins survive and today are bought and sold primarily for their bullion value. This coin has .2304 ounces of gold making it slightly less than a quarter troy ounce. If you multiply the above number times the gold price, you can get an approximate value for your coin.
Caution, not all of the dates of these coins are common. There are many rare date and mint mark combinations. Counterfeits of these are plentiful.
