125 years ago, the Imperial Patent Office in Berlin granted patent no. 37435 to a "vehicle with gas-engine drive". This is recognised today as the ’birth certificate’ of the automobile. The certificate was inscribed "Patented in the German Reich, 29 January 1886". This day signalled the triumphant procession of the automobile, which was to change the world on an unforeseeable scale. The Federal Ministry of Finance has issued a special edition postage stamp and commemorative coin to mark the 125th birthday of the automobile. The stamp depicts the world’s first automobile together with a drawing taken from the patent document dated 29 January 1886. Priced at 55 Euro cents, the stamp can be purchased from German post offices and postal agencies from 5 May 2011.

A commemorative coin commemorating "125! years of the automobile" will also be available from 9 June 2011 at banks and building societies at a purchase price of 10 Euros. Featuring a dynamic, contemporary design based on the circular form of the steering wheel, both sides of the coin depict the individual mobility made possible by the automobile. The commemorative stamp and coin will be officially issued by the Federal Ministry of Finance in Berlin on 7 June 2011.

The Benz Patent Motor Car adds a new dimension to confronting the boundaries of time and space – at the same time introducing individual fields of application. Offering greater freedom and availability, Carl Benz’s invention is the world’s first automobile to lay the foundations of individualised transport. The vehicle is the forerunner of a new means of transport that would shrink the boundaries of unknown territories and make as yet unexplored countries accessible to a large section of the population. The fascination with the motor car continues unabated to this day. The transportation of goods has also undergone a dramatic transformation as the automobile has become more flexible, efficient and economical.