20 Mark German Emperor and King of Prussia Wilhelm II Gold Coin | 1888 - 1913

20 Mark, Wilhelm II — the gold mark standard

The German gold mark was defined by statute: 2,790 marks to a kilogram of fine gold. That fixes the 20 mark coin at 7.1685 g of pure gold in a piece of 7.965 g at 900 fineness. Every 20 mark coin of the empire, from any of the German states, holds exactly that.

Wilhelm II reigned from 1888 until 1918; his 20 mark coins were struck from 1888 to 1913.

Specifications

The sources we rely on do not publish a diameter for this coin, so we do not quote one.

A coin from a currency that no longer exists

The gold mark was the currency of a unified Germany from 1873 until the First World War took it off the gold standard. Coins like this one stopped being money long ago; what survived is the metal and the history. That is the honest basis for buying one — it is 7.1685 g of gold with a story attached, priced accordingly.

These circulated, so condition varies. Wear affects the collector premium, not the gold.

VAT and UK capital gains tax

HMRC treats a coin minted after 1800 as investment 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). At exactly 900 this coin meets the purity test, and it was legal tender in the German Empire, so it falls inside the exemption for investment gold.

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

Questions buyers ask

How much gold is in a 20 mark? 7.1685 g, fixed by the statutory standard of 2,790 marks per kilogram of fine gold.

Does the German state on the coin matter? Not for the gold. Different states put different rulers on the obverse; the specification is identical.

Is it VAT free in the UK? At exactly 900 fine it meets HMRC's purity test, and it was legal tender in the German Empire.

Other historical coins are on the historical gold coins page. Live quotes on the precious metals prices page.