Beginning numismatists are concerned with the question of what is thaler. This is a silver coin, which played an important role in international trade in the XVI-XIX century. In fact, it was one of the first international currencies. The appearance of the coin was different from ordinary medieval banknotes. Thaler became the basis of the monetary system in many countries of the world. For those who are interested in old coins and their value, it is no secret that the price of a coin at auctions often exceeds 500 thousand rubles.
History of occurrence
The development of trade in European countries caused the need for a large silver coin for settlements. The Golden Guilder was popular, but there were not enough gold reserves to issue this coin. In 1484, the production of a new coin began in Tyrol. She weighed about 15 g and was minted from silver of high fineness. Two years later, the Duke Sigismund issued a larger coin weighing 31 g. It was called a guldiner. But the coin is not widespread. Few people knew what taler was. It was used only in Saxony. Only in the 16th century did guldiners weighing 29 grams spread throughout Europe. They were minted in Switzerland and Saxony. Initially, coins were issued in small gift lots. Only in 1500, guldiners were recognized as a means of settlement. Coins decreased in diameter and became thicker.
Joachimsthalers
In 1510, new deposits of silver were discovered in Bohemia. The mining community was called Tal (valley). In 1517, it was renamed Joachimstal, in honor of St. Joachim. Currently, this city is called Jáchymov and is part of the Czech Republic. A year later, the local baron, Stefan Schlick, received from the king the right to issue a silver coin. In 1518, 60 thousand coins of excellent quality were issued from silver 920. Merchants no longer had a question what is thaler. Thaler did not stand out in the description of the coins: on one side of the coin an image of St. Joachim was printed, and on the other a lion. The proximity of Leipzig contributed to the rapid distribution of coins. Famous fairs were held in this city. After the death of the baron, his family lost coin regalia. The mint became the property of King Charles V. The portrait of Ferdinand changed the image of St. Joachim on a new coin. By 1545, 3 million silver guldiners were issued. At the place of release they were called "Joachimstalera." From the word "thaler" came the names of many modern coins, for example, the dollar.
Holy Roman Empire
In 1524, a single monetary charter of the Holy Roman Empire was adopted. He had to answer the question, what is thaler. According to it, the mass of this coin was 29 g with a silver content of 85%. But the charter was not respected properly. In each country, the coin had its own characteristics. Kings and dukes printed their portraits on thalers. After all, coins were used for political purposes at that time. In 1534, in Saxony and Bohemia began to produce coins with a lower silver content. The quality of minting began to decline. For this reason, two more monetary charters were adopted in the 50s of the 16th century. Silver began to be supplied to Europe in large quantities from America. The cost of this metal has decreased.
In 1551, the thaler mass was increased to 31 g. The silver guldiner was again equated with the gold gold guldin. But in Germany, the new standard did not take root. New stamps and thalers were produced here. Only in 1556 a single standard was adopted in the country. Coins began to be called Reichstalers. Guldiner was equated to two-thirds of thalers. The stability and versatility of the thaler allowed him to take a leading position in international trade for a long time.
Spain
The national currency of the state was real. Spain at that time was a world maritime power. For trade with other countries, new coins were issued in denominations of 8 reais. That was the course of the German thaler. The coin was called the peso. In Russia, it was called piastre. Also in many countries it was known as the Spanish dollar. This coin has spread all over the world. To get one real, she was chopped into 8 parts.
USA
The proclaimed state quickly got rid of the British monetary system. Spanish piastres became the basis for the country's new currency - the silver dollar. Piastres were withdrawn from circulation only in the middle of the XIX century.
Latin America
In the countries of the New World, the peso has become the national currency. In Brazil, a silver coin received the Spanish name real. The English letters "P" and "S" are considered the source of the "$" symbol. By sea, the coins fell into Asian countries. Chinese yuan and the Japanese yen are also descended from the Spanish dollar.
Netherlands
Spain also produced thaler for the Netherlands. Soon, wars began between the provinces of this country. Each of them renamed thaler in its own way. After the unification of the country, in 1581, the coin received the name Reiksdalder. In 1816, the name was changed to guilder. It was released almost 200 years before the country's transition to the euro.
Scandinavian countries
Swedish thaler was launched in 1534. It is called the Riksdaler. These coins were used in Denmark and Norway. After some time they were replaced by the new currency of Scandinavia - the krona.
Italy
In this state, coins were called tallero. They were notable for the low quality of coinage. They were used as cash for trade with the countries of Africa and the Levant. These coins were issued until 1941.
Russia
Joachimsthalers in Russia renamed the simpler word - Yefimok. One efimok was equal to 64 kopecks. In 1654, the production of new coins in denominations of one ruble began. But they did not take root and were again minted in pennies. Usually, thalers were not remelted, but only put a symbol of the Russian mint on them. Under Peter I, a new monetary reform was carried out. The release of silver rubles has begun.
Germany
At the beginning of the XVII century in Germany, the release of small coins from silver was unprofitable. The stocks of this metal were not enough to satisfy the need for cash. Thalers and guldiners were smelted to issue local coins. The quality of coinage of silver thalers in Germany was constantly deteriorating. They refused to accept as a salary, even money riots began. The closure of illegal mints stabilized the country's monetary system. The brand was equated to 15 silver thalers. The weight of the thaler was reduced to 28 g. This coin in Germany was issued until 1907. The three-coin coin was called the thaler until the 30s of the last century.
Switzerland
In Switzerland, thaler was used as cash until the mid-19th century. In 1850, the Swiss franc was put into circulation . In the XX century, most European states switched to their own currencies.
Interesting Facts
In the 90s, the introduction of the monetary unit, tolar, was discussed in Belarus. Until 2006, the Slovenian currency bore a similar name.
In 2008, a coin weighing 20 kg was issued in Austria. She practically repeated the design of the coin in 1508. This is a collectible item for those who study ancient coins and their value.