The Wertpapierkennnummer (WKN, WPKN, WPK or simply Wert), is a German
securities identification code. It is composed of six digits or capital letters (excluding I and O), and no check digit.
Changes in format
There have been several changes in the WKN definition:
* WKN were switched from numeric to alphanumeric on 21 July 2003
* The first 2–4 Letters may show the issuer of the Instrument
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* Many years ago, the WKNs were divided into different number ranges that represented different types of securities (e.g., stocks, warrants, funds, etc.). However, this number range system representing different classes of securities has been abandoned long ago.
The WKNs and DE-ISINs are provided by WM-Datenservice.
WKNs may be obsolete in future, since they may be replaced by International Securities Identification Number
An International Securities Identification Number (ISIN) uniquely identifies a security. Its structure is defined in ISO 6166. The ISIN code is a 12-character alphanumeric code that serves for uniform identification of a security through normaliza ...
s (ISINs).
Spelling and meaning
Like most very long German words, ''Wertpapierkennnummer'' is a compound word: Wert-Papier-Kennnummer, if translated literally, means value–paper–identification–number (Wertpapier = financial security; Kennnummer = identification number).
Before the German spelling reform of 1996
The German orthography reform of 1996 (') was a change to German spelling and punctuation that was intended to simplify German orthography and thus to make it easier to learn, without substantially changing the rules familiar to users of the lang ...
the correct spelling was ''Wertpapierkennummer'' with only two consecutive ''n''’s, since the orthography rules allowed the same consonant three times in a row only under special circumstances. Since the reform, the spelling has been ''Wertpapierkennnummer'' with three consecutive ''n''’s.
See also
* CUSIP
*ISIN
Isin (, modern Arabic: Ishan al-Bahriyat) is an archaeological site in Al-Qādisiyyah Governorate, Iraq. Excavations have shown that it was an important city-state in the past.
History of archaeological research
Ishan al-Bahriyat was visited b ...
* SEDOL
References
{{reflist
Security identifier types
Banking in Germany
Financial metadata