How to Identify the German 5 Reichsmark (Hindenburg)

Begin with the two design sides. One face carries the German Reichsadler — a spread-winged eagle gripping a wreath that encloses a swastika — surrounded by the legend DEUTSCHES REICH and the value FÜNF REICHSMARK. The other face, which may be the one facing up on any given coin, shows a profile bust of Paul von Hindenburg with his name and the life dates 1847–1934. Seeing both together confirms the type immediately.

Confirm size, weight and metal. This is a crown-size silver coin about 29 mm in diameter, struck in .900 fine silver, weighing roughly 13.9 grams, with a reeded edge. A genuine piece feels heavy for its size and rings when struck; a coin of the right design but noticeably light, off-colour or with a smooth edge should be treated with suspicion.

Read the date and locate the mint mark. The year — 1936 on this example — appears with the design, and a single letter (A for Berlin, plus D, E, F, G and J for other German mints) tells you which mint struck it. Date and mint mark together identify the exact issue and matter for pinning down scarcer combinations.

Distinguish it from look-alikes. Note the 1935-only Hindenburg variety whose eagle carries no swastika, as well as earlier Weimar-era 5 Reichsmark types with entirely different designs (such as the oak-tree or Schiller/Kant commemoratives). If the eagle lacks a swastika, or the portrait is not Hindenburg, you are looking at a different coin or a different year.

Finally, weigh authentication. This historically significant silver type is sometimes counterfeited or altered, and cast copies, tooled dates and gilded or "novelty" versions exist. Check weight and diameter precisely, inspect the edge reeding and strike sharpness, and for higher-value or high-grade examples rely on a trusted dealer or third-party grading service rather than appearance alone.