100 mark 1960
About This Note
This is a 1960 100 Deutsche Mark banknote issued by the Deutsche Bundesbank, presented in uncirculated condition with crisp, pristine presentation throughout. The note features a striking portrait of a bearded Renaissance-era man in period clothing on the obverse and a heraldic German Federal Eagle on the reverse, both rendered in fine multicolored intaglio engraving with dominant blue tones. The exceptional security printing, intricate guilloche patterns, and lack of any wear or handling marks make this an attractive example of early Federal German currency.
Common. The 100 Deutsche Mark denominations from the 1960 series were produced in substantial quantities during the Bundesbank's early operational years and remain widely available in the collector market. UNC examples are not scarce, though they command modest premiums over circulated examples.
The 1960 100 Mark note represents the Deutsche Bundesbank's early currency issues during the post-war economic recovery of the Federal Republic of Germany. The prominent display of the Bundesadler (Federal Eagle) on the reverse and the Bundesbank logo underscore the newly established monetary authority's legitimacy and sovereignty. The Renaissance-era portrait on the obverse reflects the cultural heritage and stability the young West German state sought to project through its currency design.
The obverse features a left-facing three-quarter profile portrait of a bearded man wearing a black Renaissance hat and fur-trimmed garment, rendered in fine intaglio engraving. The portrait is surrounded by an ornamental frame with geometric and wave-pattern decorative elements. The Bundesbank hexagonal seal appears on the left side. The reverse displays a centered heraldic German Federal Eagle (Bundesadler) with fully outstretched wings shown in detailed feather work, flanked by ornamental borders and a decorative wreath element on the right. The Federal shield appears on the right side. Both sides employ intricate guilloche patterns as primary security features.
FRONT: Banknote (Banknote), Hundred (Hundert), German Mark (Deutsche Mark), 100 (numeric denomination), German Federal Bank (Deutsche Bundesbank), Serial number (N 1431143 W). BACK: 100 (numeric denomination), Hundred (Hundert), German Mark (Deutsche Mark), 100 (numeric denomination), Warning text (Wer Banknoten nachmacht oder verfälscht oder nachgemachte oder verfälschte sich verschafft und in Verkehr bringt wird mit Zuchthaus nicht unter zweijahren bestraft): 'Whoever counterfeits banknotes or forges them or procures counterfeit or forged notes and puts them into circulation will be punished with imprisonment for not less than two years.'
Intaglio (copperplate/steel engraving) printing combined with multicolor lithography. The fine line work, detailed feather rendering on the eagle, and complex guilloche patterns throughout are characteristic of intaglio security printing used by the Bundesbank. The note was produced by the Bundesdruckerei (German Federal Print Office), the official printer for Deutsche Bundesbank currency during this period.
Serial number N 1431143 W observed on this example. The 1960 100 Mark notes (Pick-22) can be found with various serial number prefixes; no specific varieties have been cataloged as significantly rarer or more valuable than others. All notes from this series feature the same obverse and reverse designs with the Renaissance-era portrait and Bundesadler.
