Thaler Coinage of the Pre Empire German States - Chapter 16 Our quest to see the Thaler Coinage of the Pre Empire German Frie Stadts (Free States) alphabetically brings us to Bremen. Bremen, one of the 1800 German Free States, can trace its lineage back to 150 AD. Like all Free States, Bremen, at different times in its existance, survived because of its alliances with other Free States, Bishoprics, Denmark, its membership in the Hanseastic League, the North German Alliance, and its siding with the Lower Saxon Circle (Lower Saxony) and the Republic of the Seven Netherlands in preventing being taken over by Sweden and the Holy Roman Empire. Sweden, over the years, kept annexing Germanic territory. You know about the Holy Roman Empire. So you may know just where Bremen was/is located take a look at this map, Scroll to third picture on right: MAP SHOWING LOCATION OF BREMEN There is a large diversity of coinage influence in Bremen's history because of those alliances as to denominational names and their fractional parts. As our quest is the Thaler coinage of Bremen here are some of the denominations used during its Thaler coinage era: Grote or Groten which is actually a low German reference to Groshen with fractional coins of 1/2 Grote, single units as Grote and multiples as 6, 12, and 36 Groat note: 6 Groat = 1/12 Thaler, 12 Groat = 1/6 Thaler, 36 Groat = 1/2 Thaler, 72 Groat = Thaler Schwaren issued in denominational amounts of 1 and 2 1/2 Schwaren note: 5 Schwaren = Thaler Fractional, single and multiple Thaler Let's look at some of those Grote (Groten) coins. Photos courtesy of Coin Archives unless noted othewrwise: BREMEN 1603 COPPER 3 GROTE BREMEN 1653 COPPER 12 GROTE BREMEN 1658 COPPER 24 GROTE BREMEN 1708 GROTEN - JOSEPH I BREMEN 1733 GROTEN - KARL VI NOTE: worldcoingallery.com photo: BREMEN 1857 SILVER 6 GROTE NOTE: worldcoingallery.com photo: BREMEN 1859 SILVER 12 GROAT NOTE: worldcoingallery.com photo: BREMEN 1859 SILVER 36 GROTE Time to view some Schwaren coinage. BREMEN 1781 COPPER SCHWARENKLIPPE BREMEN 1802 COPPER 2 1/2 SCHWAREN note: worldcoingallery.com photo: BREMAN 1866 COPPER 2 1/2 SCHWAREN Time to see the Thalers: Remember Carol V (CAROLVS V)? Here's a photo of a Thaler minted in 1546: BREMEN 1546 SILVER THALER - CAROL V This 1/16 Thaler struck for Bremen while Bremen was allianced with Anhalt-Brandenburg and Nackbarn in 1617 shows the influences during alliances and pacts. BREMEN 1617 SILVER 1/16 THALER - This 50 Brenner Verrechnungspfennig was minted during that same alliance: BREMEN 50 BREMER VERRECHNUNGSPFENNIG This coin may be a first for you, but as you can see, it existed: BREMEN 1 BRENNER VERRECHNUNGSMARK This Thaler minted in 1584 under Heinrich III bears the number 32 on its reverse for the denomination of 32 Shillings whuch equals 1 Reichsthaler: BREMEN 1585 SILVER REICHSTHALER - HEINRICH III Here's a 1671 Silver 1/24 Thaler struck when Bremen-Verden existed: BREMEN AND VERDEN 1671 SILVER 1/24 THALER Here's a very special Thaler. It is made of gold, not silver. Ever see a gold Thaler? FRIE HANSESTADT BREMEN 1863 GOLD THALER This Reichsthaler was issued by Sweden for use in Bremen while Sweden briefly annexed it: BREMEN UNDER SWEDISH ANNEXATION 1673 SILVER REICHSTHALER - CARL XI This Reichsthaler was minted in 1641 under the leadership of Ferdinands III: BREMEN 1641 SILVER REICHSTHALER - FERDINANDS III Check out the dfifferences on this Reichsthaler's rerverse: BREMEN 1650 SILVER REICHSTHALER - FERDINANDS III BREMEN 1660 SILVER REICHSTHALER - LEOPOLDS I BREMEN 1723 SILVER REICHSTHALER - CAROL VI BREMEN 1742 SILVER REICHSTHALER - CAROL VII BREMEN 1747 SILVER 1/2 THALER BREMEN 1748 SILVER 1/2 REICHSTHALER - FRANZ I This 1863 Reichsthaler commemorates the 50th Anniversary of the Befreiungskriege:BREMEN 1863 SILVER COMMEMORATIVE THALER - 50 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE BEFREIUNGSKRIEGE Just in case you didn't think any gold trade Dukaten was issued for Bremen look at this 1710 Dukat: BREMEN 1710 GOLD DUKAT - AUGUST JOSEPH Maybe you prefer this 10 Dukaten: BREMEN 1723 GOLD 10 DUKATEN - CAROL VI Hope you enjoyed the Thaler coinage of pre empire Bremen To be continued... Clinker
Cannot comment much here, but I sure enjoyed seeing those coins. Those denominations (Schwaren and Grote) were unique among the German states, I think - at least at the time when the states united and formed the German Empire. Bremen had the only gold-based currency then, with the "Pistole" (basically a louis d'or) being equal to 5 gold talers. One taler was 72 grote, as you mentioned, and 1 grot was 5 schwaren. Well, that one, and the 1 Verrechnungsmark, are a little younger. These pieces (six denominations) were issued in 1924. They are all undated, and were produced by various mints, e.g. Lauer in Nürnberg and the state mint in Hamburg. The coins came out shortly after the end of the hyperinflation, and were withdrawn in September 1924. Today Bremen is the smallest among the German states; it consists of only two cities. Christian
