Wertpapierkennnummer


The Wertpapierkennnummer,, is a German securities identification code. It is composed of six digits or capital letters, and no check digit.

Changes in format

There have been several changes in the WKN definition:
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 Numbers.

Spelling and meaning

Like most very long German words, Wertpapierkennnummer is a compound word: Wert-Papier-Kenn-Nummer, if translated literally, means value–paper–to know–number.
Before the German spelling reform of 1996 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.