File talk:Maria Sibylla Merian portrait from 500DM banknote.png

About the copyright status. In general all Deutsche Mark banknotes 3rd series have the following copyright note: (c) 1992 Deutsche Bundesbank. See reverse of banknotes (hi-res jpeg available here):

http://www.bundesbank.de/Redaktion/EN/Bilderstrecken/dm_banknoten_der_serie_bbk_3.html?notFirst=true&docId=89670

However, as stated on the Bundesbank website, "..., they are therefore generally freely reproducible."

"Since D-Mark banknotes of all series are no longer legal tender, the restrictions imposed by section 128 of the Act on Breaches of Administrative Regulations (Gesetz über Ordnungswidrigkeiten - OWiG), the provisions in criminal law concerning the protection of monetary tokens pursuant to section 146 et seq of the German Criminal Code (Strafgesetzbuch - StGB) as well as any regulations derived from them in respect of the size, resolution, identification requirement or similar for the reproduction of such banknotes are no longer applicable; under criminal and administrative law, they are therefore generally freely reproducible."

http://www.bundesbank.de/Navigation/EN/Press/Pictures_archive/DM_Banknotes_and_coins/bm_banknotes_and_coins.html

I'm not a legal expert to interpret "generally". 129.215.197.178 (talk) 18:55, 2 April 2013 (UTC)