20 Mark Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg Gold Coin | 1875 - 1913

20 Mark, Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg

7.965 g gross, 900 fine, 7.1685 g of pure gold, 22.5 mm across.

Hamburg was a free city, not a kingdom or a duchy, so its coins carry no ruler. Where a Prussian or Bavarian 20 Mark shows a king, this one shows the arms of the city: the castle gate held by two lions. Among imperial German gold coins that makes it unusual, and it is the reason collectors single it out.

Specifications

Two reverses, and a gap

Coins of 1875 to 1889 carry the small imperial eagle with a large breast shield. From 1893 the reverse changes to the large eagle with a small shield. No 20 Mark pieces were struck at Hamburg between 1890 and 1892.

Neither side is signed in the references we can check, so we do not name a designer here.

Dates worth checking

Mintages vary enormously. The 1908 J is recorded at fourteen pieces and the 1889 J at about fourteen thousand, against hundreds of thousands for the common years. We check the date on every coin rather than treating the type as uniform bullion.

The German gold mark standard

Every imperial 20 Mark piece, whichever state issued it, was struck to the same standard: 7.965 g gross at 900 fine, holding 7.1685 g of pure gold, 22.5 mm across. The rule behind it was that a kilogram of fine gold made 2,790 marks. The edge reads GOTT MIT UNS.

That uniformity is why these coins trade against each other on gold content, with the issuing state and the rarity of the date deciding any premium above it.

Exactly 900, and why that matters

HMRC’s test for gold bullion is a fineness of not less than 900 thousandths. This coin is exactly 900. It clears the threshold, but with nothing to spare — a coin a shade below that line would attract VAT as a collectable rather than being treated as bullion gold.

VAT and UK capital gains tax

HMRC treats a coin minted after 1800 as bullion gold if it is at least 900 thousandths fine, is or has been legal tender in its country of origin, and normally sells at no more than 180 per cent of the open market value of its gold (VAT Notice 701/21A). The coin is 900 fine, was German legal tender and is sold close to the gold price, so it meets all three tests.

Capital gains tax is a separate matter. The UK exemption follows sterling legal tender, so it covers Sovereigns and Britannias but not a German coin. This is a statement of the published rule, not tax advice — your own position depends on your circumstances.

Questions buyers ask

Why is there no king on it? Because Hamburg was a free city within the German Empire, not a monarchy. Its coins carry the city arms instead.

How much gold does it contain? 7.1685 g of pure gold, close to a full Sovereign.

Which date will I receive? A mixed date as available. Scarce dates are priced separately.

What does the J mean? It is the mintmark of the Hamburg mint.

Authenticity checked at GoldInvest24 before dispatch. Other sizes are on the historic gold coins page. Live quotes on the precious metals prices page.