Danish rigsdaler
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The rigsdaler was the unit of currency used in Denmark until 1873 and in Norway until 1816. The similarly named Reichsthaler, riksdaler and rijksdaalder were used in Germany and Austria-Hungary, Sweden and the Netherlands, respectively.
[edit] Denmark
The Danish currency system established in 1625 consisted of 12 pfennig = 1 skilling, 16 skilling = 1 mark and 6 mark = 1 rigsdaler. From 1713, two separate systems coexisted, courant and specie, with courant being a debased currency also used for banknote issue. The rigsdaler specie contained 4⁄37 of a Cologne mark of fine silver (i.e, 9¼ speciedaler equaled one Cologne mark).
In 1813, following a financial crisis, a new currency system was introduced, based on the rigsbankdaler. This was divided into 96 rigsbank skilling and was equal to half a rigsdaler specie or 6 rigsdaler courant. Copper coins bearing the legend "rigsbanktegn" ("rigsbank token") were issued in denominations of 2, 3, 4, 6, 12 and 16 skilling. Other denominations issued were 1⁄5, 1⁄2, 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 16 and 32 rigsbank skilling, 1 rigsbankdaler and 1 rigsdaler species. From 1826, gold coins were issued denominated in "Frederiks d'Or" or "Christians d'Or" (depending on the name of the ruling king). The "d'or" was nominally worth 10 rigsdaler, although the currency was on a silver standard. From 1842, denominations of and above 4 rigsbank skilling were also denominated in "schilling courant", the currency of Schleswig-Holstein. Banknotes were issued by the "Danish-Norwegian Specie Bank", the "Rigsbank" and the "National Bank". Denominations ranged from 1 to 500 rigsbankdaler.
A further change was made in 1854. The rigsdaler specie name disappeared and the names rigsbankdaler and rigsbank skilling became rigsdaler and skilling rigsmønt. Thus, there were 96 skilling rigsmønt to the rigsdaler. Coins were issued in denominations of ½, 1, 4 and 16 skilling rigsmønt, ½, 1 and 2 rigsdaler. Gold "d'or" coins continued to be issued (see above). Banknotes were issued by the "National Bank" in denominations between 5 and 500 rigsdaler.
In 1873, Denmark and Sweden formed the Scandinavian Monetary Union and the rigsdaler was replaced by the krone at a rate of 2 krone = 1 rigsdaler.
[edit] Norway
During the political union between Denmark and Norway, Danish currency circulated alongside Norwegian. Norway itself issued currency denominated in two different rigsdaler, the rigsdaler courant and the rigsdaler specie, with 96 skilling to the rigsdaler courant and 120 skilling to the rigsdaler specie.
In 1816, following the establishment of the union between Sweden and Norway, the rigsdaler specie was renamed the speciedaler and became the standard unit of currency in Norway.
In 1875, Norway joined the Scandinavian Monetary Union and the speciedaler was replaced by the Norwegian krone.
 |
This Denmark-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 |
This article about Norwegian history is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 This currency-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
