Albus (coin)
Albus was a currency that had been widespread in parts of the German Empire, especially in the Rhineland , since the late Middle Ages . The name albus is Latin and means "white". Because of the higher silver content, this lighter coin differed in color from the other inferior coins. This resulted in the name denarus albus (white pfennig ), white pfennig or Rhenish groschen .
It is a silver groschencoin from the late Middle Ages , which found distribution in the Lower Rhine region from the second half of the 14th century. The four Rhenish electors , who joined together in 1385/86 to form the Rheinischer Münzverein , had the white pfennig minted as a common silver coin alongside the Rhenish gold gulden . While the gold guilder was used as a trading coin, the white pfennig was a "coin of daily use". The Mainz white pennies showed the “ Mainz wheel ” on one side and were therefore also called the Raderalbus .
history
First archbishop left Kuno von Trier and his nephew Archbishop Frederick of Cologne to Weißpfennig by founded by them on 8 March 1372 coinage dominate. The aim of this mint was to mint common gold and silver coins with a fixed fineness . The common gold coin was the guilder , on the front of which Saint Peter was depicted, and the common silver coin was the white pfennig, which is first mentioned in this contract. The "white" appearance that gave the white pfennig its name was due to the high fineness of silver .
The Albus was introduced by the Archbishop of Trier Kuno II von Falkenstein in the middle of the 14th century and is documented for the first time in the minting treaty between Cologne and Trier in 1372. Over time, Albus became the currency in the Mint Association of the Electors of Trier , Mainz and Cologne and was adopted by numerous neighboring territories.
On the obverse there were first Christian motifs (Christ, saints). In Trier the Albus was also known as "Petermenger" (Petermännchen) from 1625 because of St. Peter in the obverse, which was used in huge quantities until 1689 and spread over the whole of western Germany to Westphalia , Thuringia and Brandenburg . On the lapel of the coins mostly showed the heraldic shield , in Mainz for example the Mainz wheel (so-called Raderalbus, which was worth 24 pfennigs - one double schilling ). The appearance of the coin also changed over time. From 1689 onwards, the weever men were replaced by the "three-pint male". This coin was very successful and was soon a popular means of payment as far as the Elbe . The three-pillar male remained in circulation in many variants until 1715. In 1760 minting was resumed by the Koblenz mint. The inscription III PETERMENGER was replaced by 24 EINE MARCK FEIN SILBER, as it should be valid for 6 Kreuzer .
According to the coin decree for the conversion of foreign currencies of the Count Palatine Wolfgang Wilhelm of September 1, 1620, the following values were set for the Duchies of Jülich-Berg : 1 Reichstaler = 78 Albus; 1 Albus = 12 Heller .
In the Grand Duchy of Hesse the Reichstaler , Batzen and Albus were only bill coins. According to the coinage convention of August 25, 1837, the reissue of the imperial gulden was also an invoice coin.
- 1 Reichstaler = 1 ½ Gulden = 22 ½ Batzen = 30 Groschen = 45 Albus = 90 Kreuzer = 360 Pfennigs = 384 Heller
In the Thirty Years War (1618–1648) the coin lost its importance and was still minted as a small coin in the 18th century (including in Hesse). In Jülich-Berg, more Stüber gained in importance over the period .
distribution
Since the Rhenish groschen was very popular, it was widely distributed between Heidelberg on the southern border of the Palatinate region and Moers on the Lower Rhine border and was reproduced by numerous Rhenish and Westphalian lords.
literature
- Heinz Fengler, Gerhard Gierow. Willy Unger: Numismatics. Transpress, Berlin 1988, ISBN 3-344-00220-1 .
- Helmut Kahnt: The large lexicon of coins from A to Z. Gietl, Regenstauf 2005, ISBN 3-924861-84-6 .
- Heribert Engel: Financial history of the Duchy of Jülich. Bonn 1958.
- Arthur Suhle: "Groschen and gold coinage in the 14th and 15th centuries" In: "German coin and money history from the beginnings to the 15th century." Berlin 1974.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Heinz Fengler, Gerhard Gierow, Willy Unger: Transpress lexicon numismatics. Berlin 1976, p. 19
- ↑ a b c d e f g Arthur Suhle: Groschen and gold coinage in the 14th and 15th centuries in: “German coin and money history from the beginnings to the 15th century.” Berlin 1974, p. 174ff.
- ↑ Heinz Fengler, Gerhard Gierow, Willy Unger: Transpress lexicon numismatics. Berlin 1976, p. 268
- ^ Stadtsparkasse Trier: The coins and seals of the Archbishops of Trier. 1973
- ^ Christian Noback, Friedrich Eduard Noback: Complete paperback of the coin, measure and weight relationships. Volume 1, FA Brockhaus, Leipzig 1851, p. 212