Reichsthaler

Reichstaler ( acronym in German:. .. . Rthlr, Rthl, Rthl, thl ) a spread in the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation from the 16th to the 19th century silver currency. After the advent of the first large silver coins of the early modern period in Central Europe is a need for the rich -wide standardization of these coins originated. The amount in the monetary standard Reichsmünzordnungen first leaned against the then widespread Joachimstalerstrasse Guldengroschen and similar coins. From a Cologne Mark ( mass unit to just under 236 g ) fine silver 9 officially designated as Guldiner coins should be struck.

In the aftermath of the monetary standard was degraded several times and changed the relations of the kingdom taler to the common coinage ( pennies, shillings, cruisers ). The term Reichstaler finally bügerte for one to changes in the monetary standard independent value standard silver currency (invoice coin). From 1750 coined Prussia bearing the inscription " Reichsthaler " coin that contained only about 2/3 of the actually required fine silver.

History

Origin and Description

The immediate history of the kingdom thaler begins with the spread of a small gold coin in Europe, the ducats ( " Gulden "). In the Middle Ages only small silver coins were minted mostly been the successor to the Carolingian pennies. At the turn of the modern era allowed a reinforced silver mining in Central Europe minting large silver coins, which corresponded to the values ​​for a gold florins. These silver coins were not initially called Taler, but because of their relationship to the value of gold florins as Guldengroschen or Guldiner. A special importance in the dissemination of these silver coins had Joachimsthalerstrasse Guldiner from which the symbol ' T (h ) aler " derives ( Fine weight: ). An important predecessor of Joachim Thaler was derived mainly from Annaberg in Saxony Guldengroschen, later called hooded Taler ( Fine Weight: 27.41 g).

The propagating Taler coins at the beginning of the 16th century differed in meal ( Total weight ) and grain ( fineness ) and in its relations to the surrounding coinage. The need for a nationwide standardization was Emperor Charles V 1524 with adoption of the First general coinage. There should be a throughout the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation and uniform rate everywhere capable silver large coin to be defined, which should bring out the different mints according to a uniform standard of coinage, but different character and could.

Performance

Initially, the fineness was maintained very accurately, what was particularly long time for the imperial thalers. The initial value equality between gold, and the silver Guldiner in 1500 developed slowly apart in the following decades or centuries by Silver Fineness deterioration and the relative increase in the value of gold to silver. The small coins were initially still around 1570 Kurantgeld, fell from about 1600 to only hard umwechselbaren in Kurantwährung coins down. In particular, from 1618 to 1623 began a sharp decline in the value of the coinage debasement by ( Kipper and Wipper time). Finally, strong copper-containing "Kipper dollars " were minted.

Dating from around 1540, the first Valvationstabellen that give an overview of what value ratio in the individual regional thaler coins were the theoretical Reichstaler ( = legal, reaching further monetary standard line). These tables were - published by the diets and private trading houses and printers to about 1870 - also in bebildeter form. They usually began with the full and ended with the unterwertigsten thaler coins and cuts thereof. The "good Reichstaler " became more and more to a pure unit of account.

Coin data

In Recess of the year 1566 Reichstaler was determined by the fact that from a Cologne mark of silver 9 Reichstaler (9 taler feet) should be dominated by individual coin with a weight of 29.23 g, of a fineness of 889/1000, and a fine weight of 25.98 g

1750, the real Konventionstaler was introduced to 10 Taler from the fine of Cologne silver marks in several German states, who was 32 ​​pence, representing a 131/3-Talerfuß at 24 pence. That was the end of the "old" imperial thaler 24 groschen. A "new " lighter " Reichsthaler " introduced after the Graumann 's 14 -foot - Taler, who was also 24 pence, and later in 1821 30 pence - the same time in 1750 in Prussia - as I said above. The new Prussian term " Reichstaler " was shortened from 1800 for " Thaler " and renamed to " Vereinstaler " in the countries of the German Customs Union in 1857 and was valid until 1907 as the Mark 3.

In Prussia, 1750-1806 corresponded to a Reichsthaler 90 new pence each 18 cents. In addition, one was Polish florins (Fl, Zloty ) 1/3 Prussian Empire Thaler ( = 30 new pence ).

1821-1871 (1873 ) was in Prussia a New Reichstaler and Thaler ( ℛ st. ) 30 pence ( Sgr. ) each with 12 Kupferpfenni ( n ) g ( ₰ ).

1871-1873 (= 1/ 3 Taler ) was replaced for every 100 penny in all German states of dollars through the Mark.

Dollars that were minted after the adoption of the year 1566, were called in German-speaking " Reichsthaler " or simply " T (h ) aler " when the context explained that a coin of the speech was. They spoke of "Species Thaler ", " Reichsthaler species" or " coined Thalern " once was clear that a coin and not the unit of account was meant - Prices have been treated as national merchants always in the unit of account " Reichstaler "; but was then paid to the regional money, which then had a conversion rate to the theoretical Reichstaler result.

Coined Reichstaler the Netherlands and Brabant did not bind itself to the language regime, among them the name Rijksdaalder related to coins, the match came in the value of the unit of account, which conquered the international payments under the same name.

International Monetary unit

Regardless of the coinage of a currency unit continued under the name " Reichstaler " through - to a value of 3/4 of the coined in the Reich thaler. In her prices were made, negotiated annual salaries and exhibited changes in cashless transfer of funds. In German-speaking following monetary standard was - here in the spectrum with the gold ducat worth in 1709:

The independence of the coinage meant for the unit of account " Reichstaler " on the international stage a benefit, as is the fact that the fictional unit did indeed correspond to circulating coins, which gave the unit plausibility: the patagon 48 Patard in Flemish or 50 Stuiver in Netherlands, the Écu to 60 French sol. In international payment transfers in Reichstalern were between Hamburg, Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Stockholm consistently - in the Scandinavian they were called Rigsdaler or Riksdaler, in Dutch Rijksdaalder, here as there, as everywhere in the Reich decided on the spot, which Münzumsetzung the worth stable and national currency unit corresponded: 6 marks in Copenhagen, 3 Mark in Hamburg, 24 good penny in Leipzig, 36 Mariengroschen in Hanover. Inflation was below the national currency unit locally instead of 1680 was expected in Cologne 80 bus to the Reichsthaler, in 1700 you had to divide it into 100 bus. In Sweden, they told the Riksdaler 1681-1715 in 2 Silver Thaler, 1715-1719 worsened the rate from 1719 to 1776 had to be reckoned 3 Silberthaler on the Reichsthaler - the unit of account remained in their value unaffected by devaluations of local coins as well of the introduction of the Convention thaler 1750, which ended the era of the original species thaler in Germany.

However, led to confusion in international trade, the fact that the German species taler was a coin worth about the known unit of account " Reichstaler " (1 Speciestaler = 1 1/3 Reichstaler = 32 pence ). Reichstaler coins in the parlance of the Netherlands corresponded to the value of the unit of account. Isaac Newton remarked in 1720 the maladministration, being asked as overseer of the Royal Mint in London to an opinion on the value of the kingdom Thaler in international payments with Scandinavia.

The era of the unit of account Reichstaler ended in the German-speaking world with the signing of the Act of Confederation, 1806. In northern Germany, the Prussian thaler was ( to 14 thalers from the Cologne marks of silver) the dominant means of payment, which in the form of the club taler since 1857 on the entire territory of the German Zollverein spread. In 1873 he gave way to the new gold mark, which was based on the gold standard. But the Vereinstaler remained until 1907 under the revived name Reichstaler legal tender worth three marks.

In other countries like the Netherlands nationalized the Reichstaler - in the Netherlands remained as the parity of the year 1700: 2.5 guilders were still 2001 " Rijksdaalder ", or " riks ".