100 Mark #205

Front

Germania, the allegorical female personification of Germany, appears in profile busts on both sides of the center text. These classical representations symbolized the German Empire during the Imperial period. The note is inscribed 'Reichsbanknote' in Gothic script and dated 'Berlin, den 21. April 1910.' It bears the authority statement that the Reichsbank in Berlin pays the bearer of this note without legitimation check. Two red seals of the Reichsbank appear flanking the denomination and signatures of the Reichsbankdirektorium.

Back

Germania seated in classical robes holding a sword and leaning against a shield bearing the German Imperial eagle. The scene includes allegorical elements of German industry and commerce, with a ship visible in the background on the left representing maritime trade. The ornate design features elaborate scrollwork and the denomination '100' repeated in the corners. This imagery reinforced German imperial power and economic strength during the Kaiserreich period.

History

This 100 Mark note belongs to the Reichsbanknote series issued by the German Empire's central bank (Reichsbank) between 1908 and 1914. These notes circulated during the final years of the Kaiserreich under Wilhelm II. The 1910 series featured elaborate engraved designs with allegorical representations of Germania, typical of Imperial German banknote aesthetics. Following World War I and the hyperinflation crisis of 1923, these notes were demonetized and replaced by the Rentenmark in 1924. The Gothic script ('Fraktur') and classical imagery reflect the cultural preferences of Imperial Germany.