Position measurement device for capturing the position of two objects which are movable relative to one another in at least one measurement direction (x), having - a measuring standard extending in the measurement direction (x), which measuring standard is connected to one of the two objects and has at least one reference mark at a reference position (x REF), wherein the reference mark consists of an arrangement of graduation regions (22.1, 22.2, 14.1, 14.2, 14.3), extending in the measurement direction (x), having graduation periods that vary in dependence on the location, - a scanning unit that is connected to the other one of the two objects and comprises a light source, a scanning plate and a reference-signal detector arrangement to generate at least one reference signal at the reference position (x REF), via which an absolute reference for any further generated periodic incremental signals is able to be produced and wherein the scanning plate has a reference-mark scanning structure which consists of an arrangement of graduation regions (14.1, 14.2, 14.3), extending in the measurement direction (x), having graduation periods that vary in dependence on the location, and wherein - the arrangement of the graduation regions (22.1, 22.2, 14.1, 14.2, 19.3) in the reference mark on the measuring standard and in the reference-mark scanning structure of the scanning plate is selected such that the grating spatial frequency distributions in the reference-mark scanning structure on the scanning plate and in the reference mark on the measuring standard differ, and wherein - the reference-mark scanning structure has a first grating spatial frequency distribution and is configured such that, from the interaction of the beams emitted by the light source with the reference-mark scanning structure, primarily +/-1 diffraction orders are obtained that generate, by being superposed onto the measuring standard, a self-image of the reference-mark scanning structure having a second grating spatial frequency distribution, characterized - in that the reference mark arranged on the measuring standard has a third grating spatial frequency distribution, and - in that the reference-mark scanning structure and/or the reference mark arranged on the measuring standard are configured such that the second and third grating spatial frequency distributions in the frequency domain are displaced with respect to one another by a specific difference frequency (f v) such that a stripe pattern having a periodic spatial-frequency component is obtained from the optical interaction of the self-image of the reference-mark scanning structure with the reference mark in the detection plane of the reference-signal detector arrangement, if the measuring standard is located at the reference position (x REF), wherein the periodic spatial-frequency component corresponds to the difference frequency (f v). - a measuring standard extending in the measurement direction (x), which measuring standard is connected to one of the two objects and has at least one reference mark at a reference position (x REF), wherein the reference mark consists of an arrangement of graduation regions (22.1, 22.2, 14.1, 14.2, 14.3), extending in the measurement direction (x), having graduation periods that vary in dependence on the location, - a scanning unit that is connected to the other one of the two objects and comprises a light source, a scanning plate and a reference-signal detector arrangement to generate at least one reference signal at the reference position (x REF), via which an absolute reference for any further generated periodic incremental signals is able to be produced and wherein the scanning plate has a reference-mark scanning structure which consists of an arrangement of graduation regions (14.1, 14.2, 14.3), extending in the measurement direction (x), having graduation periods that vary in dependence on the location, and wherein - the arrangement of the graduation regions (22.1, 22.2, 14.1, 14.2, 19.3) in the reference mark on the measuring standard and in the reference-mark scanning structure of the scanning plate is selected such that the grating spatial frequency distributions in the reference-mark scanning structure on the scanning plate and in the reference mark on the measuring standard differ, and wherein - the reference-mark scanning structure has a first grating spatial frequency distribution and is configured such that, from the interaction of the beams emitted by the light source with the reference-mark scanning structure, primarily +/-1 diffraction orders are obtained that generate, by being superposed onto the measuring standard, a self-image of the reference-mark scanning structure having a second grating spatial frequency distribution, characterized - in that the reference mark arranged on the measuring standard has a third grating spatial frequency distribution, and - in that the reference-mark scanning structure and/or the reference mark arranged on the measuring standard are configured such that the second and third grating spatial frequency distributions in the frequency domain are displaced with respect to one another by a specific difference frequency (f v) such that a stripe pattern having a periodic spatial-frequency component is obtained from the optical interaction of the self-image of the reference-mark scanning structure with the reference mark in the detection plane of the reference-signal detector arrangement, if the measuring standard is located at the reference position (x REF), wherein the periodic spatial-frequency component corresponds to the difference frequency (f v).