Thaler Coinage of the Pre Empire German States - Chapter 11 Our quest of locating some of the world's finest coinage during the existance of the Free German States that were still in existence prior to the forming of the German Empire in 1871 brings us to our "B" alphabetical listing of Bavaria. To see how vast this state (once a kingdom) was, just take a look at this map: MAP LOCATION OF BAVARIA In reality, Bavaria's territory was much larger because it incorporated territory that became Austria. Also, let it be known that German references to Bavaria use or includes Freistaat Bayern. Some Thaler coinage listings for Bavaria will be listed under Bayern. The beginning of the Thaler designation came about thusly: 1500: The first German Guldengroschen is issued from Saxony, with a value of 24 Groschen. In Bremen it circulates equivalent to 36 Groten. These Guldengroschen are reduced in weight to 29.2g so as to be minted at eight coins to the Cologne Mark. 1518: The first coin actually called a "Thaler" is minted in Joachimsthal, Bohemia. Its weight is as the standard of 1500 (20.2g - eight coins to the Cologne Mark). Often a Thaler bears the notation EINE F. MARK which is an abbreviatuon for EINE FINE MARK. In 1837, the Prussian Thaler became part of a currency union which set the value of the southern German Gulden at 1.75 per thaler. By 1850, nearly all German states used this standard of Thaler, though with differing subdivisions. In Bavaria, minor Thaler coinage includes the following denominations: Kreuzer issued in fractionals (1/4, 1/2) as well as mulltiples such as 3, 6, 10, and 20 Kruezer. Groschen which is equivalency is 1 Groschen = 3 Kreuzer. Krone (1/2 and 1) Pfennig and 2 Pfennig. Heller. Gulden in fractions and multiples. 1/2 Thaler and multiples of 1, 2, 3 and 5. Konventionsthaler, Kronenthaler and Vereinsthaler. Ready to view some photos of the Thaler coinage of Bavaria? EXAMPLE OF A 1 KREUZER: [Don's World Coin Gallery photo] BAVARIA 1870 1 KREUZER EXAMPLE OF 3 KREUZER: [Don's World Coin Gallery photo] BAVARIA 1831 3 KREUZER EXAMPLE OF 6 KREUZER: [Don's World Coin Gallery photo] BAVARIA 1806 6 KREUZER EXAMPLE OF A 1 PFENNIG: [Don's World Coin Gallery photo] BAVARIA 1825 1 PFENNIG A LATER EXAMPLE OF A 1 PFENNIG: [Don's World Coin Gallery photo] BAVARIA 1866 1 PFENNIG AN EVEN LATER EXAMPLE OF A 1 PFENNIG: [Don's World Coin Gallery photo] AN EXAMPLE OF A 2 PFENNIG: [Don's World Coin Gallery photo] BAVARIA 1871 2 PFENNIG AN EXAMPLE OF A 1/2 GULDEN: [Don's World Coin Gallery photo] BAVARIA 1/2 GULDEN (1838-1848) AN EXAMPLE OF A 1 GULDEN: [Don's World Coin Gallery photo] BAVARIA 1838 1 GULDEN ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF A 1 GULDEN: [Don's World Coin Gallery photo] BAVARIA 1 GULDEN (1864-1866) Before we look at more of Bavaria's Thaler coiinage, there is something you should know. "Maximilian, Duke of Bavaria, was instrumental in helping the Holy Roman Empire defeat Frederick V, Count Palatine of the Rhine, during the outbreak of the Thirty Years’ War. For his services, Maximilian was elevated to the status of an imperial elector in 1623, thus positioning him as one of the most powerful princes in the Empire. Bavaria’s new status as an electorship reflected the growth of the duchy as a major military power that would continue to play an active role in European affairs." This impressive "Madonnentaler" was minted in Munich four years after Maximilian took his new title of Elector: BAVARIA 1627 SILVER MADONNENTHALER - ELECTOR MAXIMILIAN: [Coin Archives Photo] BAVARIA (BAYERN) 1627 SILVER THALER - ELECTOR MAXIMILIAN This piece, a Dopplethaler (2 Thaler) was struck in 1626, one year before that 1627 Madonnenthaler: [Coin Archives photo] BAVARIA 1626 SILVER 2 THALER - MAXIMILIAN I Here's a Madonnenthaler minted in Munich during 1694 under Elector Maximilian II's leadership: [Coin Archives photo] BAVARIA (BATERN) 1694 SILVER Thaler - ELECTOR MAXIMILIAN II Now we can continue looking at more of Bavaria's Thaler coinage with this 1763 Thaler featuring Elector Maxinilian III Joseph on its obverse. [Coin Archives photo] BAVARIA 1763 SILVER THALER - MAXIMILIAN III JOSEPH Continue with me to view more Bavarian Thaler coinage: AN EXAMPLE OF A SILVER 1/2 THALER: [Don's World Coin Gallery photo] BAVARIA 1804 SILVER 1/2 THALER AN EXAMPLE OF A 1760 SILVER THALER: [Don's World Coin Gallery photo] BAVARIA 1760 SILVER 1 THALER HERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF AN 1845 DOPPLETHALER (2 THALER): [Coin Archives photo] BAVARIA 1845 SILVER DOPPLETHALER (2 THALER) HERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF AN 1846 DOPPLETHALER (2 THALER): [Coin Archives photo] BAVARIA (BAYERN) 1846 SILVER 2 THALER AN EVEN LATER EXAMPLE OF A SILVER 1 THALER: [Don's World Coin Gallery photo] BAVARIA SILVER 1 THALER (1865-1871) AN EXAMPLE OF A SILVER 1 VEREINSTHALER: [Don's World Coin Gallery photo] BAVARIA 1859 SILVER 1 VEREINSTHALER AN EXAMPLE OF A 1618 SILVER 1 REICHSTHALER MINTED IN MUNICH UNDER MAXINILIAN I: [photo courtesy of Coin Archives] BAYERN (BAVARIA) 1618 SILVER REICHSTHALER - MAXIMILIAN I This 5 Dukaten was struck under Elector Maxinilian's reign in 1640. A nice gold example of Bavaria's trade coinage: [Coin Archives photo] BAVARIAN 1640 GOLD 5 DUKATEN - ELECTOR MAXIMILIAN A 3 Dukat was struck in Silver at the Munich Mint in 1652 featuring Ferdinand Maria and his wife Henriette Adelhaid She is daughter of Amadeus I of Savoy) on its obverse. Obverse features an angel holding the Bavarian Arms. BAVARIA 1652 SILVER 3 DUKAT - FERDINAND MARIA Hope you enjoyed this post. To be continued... Clinker
How did the Heller denomination compare to the others? How many pfennig was a heller worth? How many hellers to a thaler? Thanks - trying to sort this out is enough to remind me how lucky we are to have decimalization.
Originally the Heller was made in the Swabian city of Hall; hence the name. From 1 mark (about 234 grams) of fine silver you would make 600 heller. When the German Empire was founded in 1871 and then picked the mark as a currency (1 Mark = 100 Pfennig), the Heller stayed in circulation in Bavaria for a while - worth half a Pfennig. Sure a system such as 100 x = 1 y makes calculating easy. But I suppose that people who deal with miles, yards, pints and ounces every day would easily cope with odd currency systems as well. Christian
Side note: The term "Freistaat" (lit. "Free State") simply means that the state is not governed by a monarch. In that sense it has the same meaning as "Republik". Another common term for a German state is "Land". Bavaria has been a "Freistaat" since the 1918 revolution. Today it is one of three German states (Bavaria, Saxony, Thuringia) that use this term. Christian
+1 I'm reading the 1634 series right now (about a West Virginia coal town that is somehow transported into the middle of Germany during the 30 year's war). There's a lot of amusing detail in there about weights / measures / customs from pre-unification Germany that is even odder than the premise of the books.
