1. the former monetary unit of East Germany from 1948 to 1990
Usage: historical

Examples

• The ostmark was the official currency of the German Democratic Republic.
• After reunification, East Germans exchanged their ostmarks for deutsche marks.
• Black market rates for the ostmark were much lower than official exchange rates.
• Many ostmark banknotes became collector’s items after German reunification.
• The ostmark was not freely convertible to Western currencies.
• Tourists could only obtain ostmarks through official government exchanges.