Groschen (German:[ˈɡʁɔʃn̩]ⓘ; fromLatin:grossus "thick", viaOld Czechgroš) is the (sometimes colloquial) name for variouscoins, especially asilver coin used in parts ofEurope includingFrance, some of theItalian states, and various states of theHoly Roman Empire.
The word is borrowed from the late Latingrossus denarius Turnosus,'thickdenarius ofTours', a description of atornese.[1]Groschen was frequently abbreviated in old documents togl, in which the second character was not anL (12th letter of the alphabet), but an abbreviation symbol; later it was written asGr org.
The name was introduced in 13th-century France as[denarius] grossus, lit. "thickpenny", whence Old Frenchgros, Italiangrosso, Middle High Germangros(se), Low German and Dutchgrōte and Englishgroat. In the 14th century, it appeared asOld Czechgroš,[2] whence Modern GermanGroschen.
Names in other modern languages include:
The Arabic, Amharic, Hebrew, Greek and Turkish names for currency denominations in and around the territories formerly part of theOttoman Empire derived from the same Italian origin.
Names likegroschen,grossus/grossi,grosso,grossone,grosz,gros,groš,groat,Groten,garas etc. were used in the Middle Ages for allthicksilver coins, as opposed tothin silver coins such asdeniers orpennies. Historically it was equal to between several and a dozendenarii.
In the German-speaking world, the groschen was usually worth 12 pfennigs; many regional (small) groschen e.g.Neugroschen,Groten (plural: Grote) in northern Germany, English: groat,Mariengroschen,Grösch(e)l were worth between 2½ and 10 pfennigs. The laterKreuzer, a coin worth 4 pfennigs arose from the linguistic abbreviation of the smallKreuzgroschen.
The groschen was first introduced into theHoly Roman Empire in 1271 by DukeMeinhard II ofTyrol inMerano afterVenice struck her first 2,1 gr. silver grosso in 1192. It was originally a solid coin of puresilver, larger than thedenarius which was no longer valid. In essence, it took the place of a variety of the olderpfennigs, whose silver purity had inflated their value over the centuries. According to one source, the city ofTrier is said to have struck groschen-like, thick pfennigs as early as 1104, which were then followed in 1300 by theBohemian groschen fromKuttenberg. The new coin soon inspired other 'mint lords' (Münzherren) and was given, not least for reasons of economic necessity, a higher face value in theEarly Renaissance period. Upper Italian coins of multiple pfennig value in the High Middle Ages were similarly calledGrossini (cf. alsoSchilling).
The 1286 Tyrolean example (above right) weighs 1.45 grams (22.4 grains), it is marked withME IN AR DVS (for "Meinhard") and aDouble Cross (obverse), and withDUX TIROL and theEagle of Tyrol (reverse).
In 1328 EmperorLouis IV, the Bavarian, authorised CountAdolf VI of Berg to minttorneses inWipperfürth. The oldest groschen in the area that is now modernGermany were minted there until 1346.
Following the example of the ToursGrossus, thePrague groschen or groš was minted inKuttenberg and, around 1338/1339, theMeissen groschen inFreiberg's National Mint in theMargraviate of Meissen. Both coins gained importance throughout the empire and had a strong influence on German coinage.Groschen valued at 12 pfennigs were common. ThePolish groschen orgrosz was worth only half as much – 6 pfennigs – and was commonly used inSilesia as agrosch(e)l orgresch(e)l worth just2+1⁄2 to 3 pfennigs.
The 'prince's groschen' (Fürstengroschen) set a record in terms of the devaluation of the Meissen groschen. When this groschen was introduced in March 1393, its value was 232⁄5 of aRhenish guilder. In 1406, the devaluation of these coins reached its peak: 53 groschen were now equal to 1 Rhenish guilder.[3]
The groschen was minted during theMiddle Ages in the following areas:
Later the tradition ofGroschen was dropped in most states while others continued to mint only coins smaller than the original coin. In Poland for example, from 1526 these included coins of1⁄2grosz, 1grosz,1+1⁄2grosz, 2grosz, 3grosz, 4grosz and 6grosz. Their weight steadily dropped to 1.8 grams (28 grains) of silver and since 1752 they were replaced by copper coins of the same name.
InGermany, the nameGroschen (both singular and plural) replacedSchilling as the common name for a 12pfennig coin. In the 18th century it was used predominantly in the northern states as a coin worth1⁄24 of aReichsthaler (equal to1⁄32 of aConventionsthaler). In the 19th century, a new currency system was introduced in which theGroschen, often under a new name to distinguish it from the old, was worth1⁄30 of aThaler orTaler. This began in 1821 inPrussia, where the coin was called theSilbergroschen (Sgr) and was worth 12 pfennigs.Saxony followed in 1840 with theNeugroschen (ngr), also1⁄30 of a thaler, but subdivided in 10 (new) pfennigs.[6][7] Silesia and Bohemia introduced the white groschen (Weissgroschen) in 1821 at the same time as Prussia. Frederick William III of Prussia could not yet decide on the consistent introduction of the decimal system. In order to be able to distinguish his new pfennig' from the old ones, they were calledPfenninge.
The last GermanKurantgroschen with a face value equalling the silver content value were issued in the Kingdom of Saxony in 1827 and 1828, and in the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1837. These were based on amonetary standard, theKonventionsfuß, of the state, according to which thesilver contained in 320 groschen was equal to the weight of aCologne Mark (233.856 grammes).
An exception in relation to the value ofthaler coins is the series of 'butterfly coins' (Schmetterlingsmünzen) in theElectorate of Saxony. All these coins only show their value in groschen; the usual abbreviation for groschen used in the everyday correspondence being used for the denomination on the coins. Likewise, the abbreviation for groschen used in the written word was stamped on the Electoral Saxon goldenReichsgulden zu 21 Groschen of 1584. In this case, it was probably intended to express the fact that it is acoin of account (Rechnungsmünze). Another special case is theKipperthaler, on which the value in groschen (orKreuzer) is also stamped to circumvent theImperial Minting Ordinance (Reichsmünzordnung). Also interesting are thalers, which were minted in denominations of 28 and 24 groschen without differences in design and size. For example, the 24 groschenHosenbandtaler were also coins of account, which is sometimes not recognized.
FollowingGerman unification anddecimalisation, with 100 pfennigs to themark, the groschen was replaced by the 10pfennig coin andgroschen remained a nickname for the 10pfennig coin until the introduction of theeuro. For the same reason, the nameSechser (sixer) remained in use regionally for the half-groschen coin, 5Pfennigs.
There is aBeethovenrondo for piano, opus 129 (1795) entitled "Die Wut über den verlorenen Groschen" (literally "The Rage Over the Lost Groschen", but known as "Rage Over a Lost Penny"). AlsoDie Dreigroschenoper,Kurt Weil,Bertold Brecht
In recent times, the name was used by three currencies in circulation:
Likewise, inGermany groschen remained a slang term for the 10 pfennig coin, thus a1⁄10 part both of the (West German)Deutsche Mark and theEast German mark. The word has lost popularity with the introduction of theeuro, although it can still be heard on occasion, especially from older people.
The Ukrainian and Belarusian common word for money,hroshi, derives from the word "grosh".
InBulgaria, thegrosh (Cyrillic:грош) was used as a currency until thelev was introduced in the 19th century.
InPalestine during the British Mandate, agrush was a coin with a hole in it, valued at1⁄100 part ofa pound (tenmils). It was named after an Ottoman coin. When the pound was replaced by thelira afterIsraeli statehood in 1948, the name was transferred to a coin (no longer with a hole) worth1⁄100 of a lira (ten perutot, later one agora). The name persisted for a while after the lira was replaced by theshekel in 1980 (one new agora, worth ten old agorot), but it gradually lost its standing as the name of a certain coin. Now it is slang for a very small value.[8]
Austria introduced the groschen in 1924 as the subdivision of theschilling. It was restored, along with theschilling, in 1945 and continued in use until the introduction of theeuro in 2002.
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