⁣⁢GDR commemorative coins were minted from 1966 (10 marks Schinkel) with a face value of 5, 10, and 20 marks and were mostly not intended for circulation. A large portion was sold with a premium and for foreign currency to collectors in Western countries. The coins were minted in copper-nickel-zinc or silver. A total of 121 different 5, 10, and 20 mark coins were issued; three of the 5 mark coins were issued with the same motif in different years (Brandenburg Gate, Meissen, Wartburg).⁤⁣

The 20 mark coin from 1990 was issued in silver and copper-nickel-zinc (German silver). All issues were released in their normal version (st, vz-st). There are also polished plate (PP) issues for some motifs, but they are sometimes very rare.