Before the euro, the German currency was the Deutsche mark, also called the German mark. One mark was worth 100 pfennig, which is the same way that one euro is worth 100 cents. When the euro, the European Union’s currency, came into use, the Deutsche mark was no longer accepted as payment.
The “Deutschmark,” as it was called in English but not in German, was first made in 1948. It was the official currency of the Federal Republic of Germany until 1999, when the euro took its place. German coins and banknotes continued to be used until early 2002, when euro coins and banknotes were put into circulation.
