History of Slovak coins - Thaler stand

The third issue in the series by historian Marcel Pecník, which commemorates the history of Slovak coinage, takes the form of a reissue of the thaler.

In 1520, a silver coin was minted in the Šlik family’s estate in the Ore Mountains. The place of its origin was the small town of Jáchymov – in German, Joachimsthal, meaning “Jáchym’s Valley.” The coins minted there were called “joachimsthaler silber groß Denar” in German – translated as “Jáchymov silver large denarius.” This impractically long name was gradually shortened first to “joachimsthaler,” then to “thaler,” and finally to the Czech “tolar.” This exceptionally high-quality currency spread from the Kingdom of Bohemia throughout Europe, and its success spurred the minting of numerous imitations. From Hungary we know the corrupted “tallér,” from Poland “talar,” from Greece “tàliro,” from Italy “tallero,” from Persia “dare,” from Iceland “dalur,” and from Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands “daler.” It was Dutch currency, thanks to the boom in international trade in the 17th and 18th centuries, that spread throughout the world and ultimately gave rise to the American dollar… In Hungary, thalers began to be minted in 1553 during the reign of Ferdinand I of Habsburg. At the same time, denarii, obols, and groschen were also being produced in the Slovak town of Kremnica. The silver content in small coins declined over the centuries, and coins made of base metals began to appear. However, thalers retained their quality and, together with gold ducats, were used primarily to cover the national debt, war expenses, and the costs of the court. The thaler currency in the Danube Monarchy lasted until the introduction of the crown. The last thaler of Franz Joseph I was minted in Kremnica in 1867.

A replica of the thaler, minted from authentic silver, bears a portrait of Maria Theresa and a depiction of the Madonna and Child. Based on the original historical coin, which was minted in Kremnica in 1742 and became one of the most widely circulated currencies in the world, it was designed by medallist Lenka Nebeská, DiS.

The replica, which will delight not only children, comes in educational packaging full of interesting facts and cheerful illustrations by Mgr. art. Bohdan Jankovič.