Westmarkn.
/ˈwɛstmɑːk/, /ˈvɛstmɑːk/, U.S. /ˈwɛs(t)ˌmɑrk/, /ˈvɛs(t)ˌmɑrk/ Now historical.
The Deutschmark, the currency unit (1948–90) of West Germany, as distinguished from the Ostmark of East Germany. Cf. Ostmark n.From 1990 the West German Deutschmark was adopted throughout the reunified country.
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society > trade and finance > money > standards and values of currencies > [noun] > specific monetary units or units of account > specific German or Austrian
groschen1617
shock1617
schilling1753
Reichsmark1872
mark1883
Rentenmark1923
Westmark1947
Deutschmark1948
Ostmark1948
1947 W. Röpke Solution of German Probl. iii. viii. 253 To join this sphere of the ‘Westmark’ (as we might call the new currency unit, against which the present Reichsmark could be exchanged at a rate of, let us say, 100:1).
1948 Oakland (Calif.) Tribune 10 Aug. I can exchange eastmarks for westmarks at black markets at the zoo or Anhalter station.
1964 L. Deighton Funeral in Berlin v. 31 ‘How much money are you carrying?’ I spread the few Westmarks and English pounds on the desk.
2004 P. Steege in G. Backhaus & J. Murungi Earth Ways ix. 162 Firms in the western sectors were now obligated to pay their employees entirely in Westmarks.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2011; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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n.1947