Coins of the German States Trivia Quiz

Answer: No

Many of the less populous states did not issue their own coins. However, all the bigger states, including the major Free Cities (and several lesser ones) issued their own coins, at least until they were taken over by other states or until the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806.

Answer: The Thaler, divided into Groschen and Pfennige

Until 1821 the Brandenburg-Prussian Thaler was divided into 24 Groschen of 12 Pfennige each (so 288 Pfennige were 1 Thaler). In 1821 the division was changed to 30 Groschen (still of 12 Pfennige each, so 1 Thaler now had 360 Pfennige).

The Gulden-Kreuzer-Heller system was the main one used in south Germany and Austria, while most of the German Hanseatic cities and Mecklenburg used the Thaler, divided into 32 Schillinge of 12 Pfennige each. The Gulden was generally divided into 60 Kreuzer of 4 Heller each. Some 'Gulden states' also minted a Thaler coin of (usually) 90 Kreuzer.

At various times other subdivisions were used. Some states occasionally minted coins 'outside' their usual monetary system; so, for example, some 'Gulden states' occasionally minted 1, 2 or 4 Pf. coins.

Answer: Schwäbisch Hall (formerly called simply Hall)

The 'e' in 'Heller' is historically an Umlauted 'a', written as 'e' instead of with a diaresis. Probably the best known of the medieval Heller coins has an open raised hand (as a sign of honesty) and often has a cross on the obverse. The 'Händleinsheller' ('Hand-Heller') was minted from c. 1228 onwards in Schwäbisch Hall. Originally, the Heller was one-half of a Pfennig, but by early 19th century the two were generally of the same value.

Incidentally, the town was known colloquially (and for a while also officially) simply as 'Hall'. It is in Baden-Württemberg, in south-west Germany.

Answer: A carefully preserved lump of silver

The values of the currencies of the states in the Holy Roman Empire were calculated either against the Cologne Mark or according to the less widely used Leipzig standard. Nevertheless, this basic requirement did not always prevent 'monkey business'.

The Polish-Lithuanian currency was also calibrated against the Cologne Mark.

Some states (for example, the City of Aachen) had coins called a 'Mark', but they did not correspond to the later German Mark.

Answer: Embossed coin

These thin silver coins were embossed and had an incuse reverse and were generally flimsy. When exchanging worn and damaged 'Hohlpfennige' for new ones most states did not exchange them on a one-for-one basis but levied a charge. Sometimes this was as high as four worn coins for three new ones!

Answer: Ducal Prussia

In general, doctrinal religious statements are unknown on European coins. Ducal Prussia, which corresponded roughly to East Prussia, was the first state to adopt the Reformation officially (1525). The duke at the time, Albrecht von Brandenburg, had this core Protestant doctrine put on some of the coins.

Answer: Prussia

A modified version of this theme continued to appear on Prussian gold coins till the 1850s. The word 'militarism' had not yet been invented, but these coins did sometimes give rise to jocular comments.

Answer: For some reason Knyphausen was not included in Napoleon's blockade of Britain

Knyphausen (also spelled Kniphausen) was a port which occupied part of what later became Wilhelmshaven and a small adjacent area. Initially, it was not included in Napoleon's Continental blockade of the British Isles and did a roaring trade in blockade busting.

Many of the goods were paid for in other currencies but some deals were done in the local currency. Knyphausen was absorbed by Oldenburg in 1854 and most of its coins are extremely rare, with the exception of the half Thaler.

Answer: 1 Pfennig

The denarius (translated into German as Pfennig or Pfenning, and into English as penny) was established in the Frankish Empire shortly before the year 800 AD and the name has proved exceptionally long-lasting!

The words 'Pfennig' and 'penny' are cognate, that is, related and derived from the same root. It is one of the many Germanic words that has no cognate outside the Germanic languages.

Answer: 1873-74

The law establishing the Mark of 100 Pfennige as the national currency (or, strictly speaking the Reichsmark, though this term was seldom used) was passed in 1873 and became fully effective in the course of 1874. The 1 Mark coins and lower denominations were the same throughout the German Empire, but the individual states continued to issue their own coins for the higher demoninations. All these higher denomination coins were issued in Marks. (In anticipation of the change, Prussia had issused some gold coins in Marks already in 1871).

A quirky clause in the law of 1873 allowed some high denomination Austrian coins to remain legal tender in Germany till 1901.