PRAGUE GROSCHEN: COIN OF BOHEMIA
Prague groschen, 1378-1419: Kingdom of Bohemia
Bohemia — historical region, as well as the old name of the Czech state. Synonym — Czech Republic.
Ruler: King of Bohemia Wenceslaus IV (1378-1419).
WENCEZLAVS TERCIUS: Wenceslaus the third / Wenceslaus III — Wenceslaus IV was known to everyone as Wenceslaus III, because the Luxembourg dynasty did not recognize Przemysl Wenceslaus III as king (Wenceslaus III was the last king of Bohemia from the Přemyslid dynasty).
DEI GRATIA REX BOEMIE: By the grace of God, the King of Bohemia.
A number of facts show that even after the death of Wenceslaus IV, coins with his name — the legend WENCESLAUS TERCIUS — continued to be minted in huge quantities with old stamps.
Crown.
GROSSI PRAGENSES: Prague groschen.
A striding crowned white lion with a forked tail (the Czech lion is an element of the modern coat of arms of the Czech Republic).
- Silver: 26 mm - 2.75 g
- Reference price: 7$
COIN PRAGUE GROSCHEN — WHERE & WHEN (coins catalog: by names & emitents)
- KINGDOM OF BOHEMIA (1300-1547): prague groschen = 12 parvus
PRAGUE GROSCHEN as coin name.
Prague groschen (or simply: Gross) — medieval European silver coin that was extremely common for almost three consecutive centuries. "Coin of epoch" for Eastern and Central Europe. It was divided, as a rule, into 12 parvus (Latin "parvus denarius Pragensis" — "small Prague denar"). Type of groschen coin.
The coin was struck during 1300-1547 in the city of Prague (Kingdom of Bohemia; now the Czech Republic). The prototype was the silver coin of the city of Tours (French "Gros Tournois").
Prague groschen was used by a number of neighboring states: the modern Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Lithuania, Germany, Austria... even Ukraine.
For almost 250 years of issue, the coin changed little. The obverse and reverse remained generally constant — the Czech lion (heraldic symbol placed vertically) and the crown. The legend was also practically constant: the denomination — GROSSI PRAGENSES ("Prague enlarged grosso" or simple "Prague groschen" — it was this inscription that gave the name to the coin), the title of the ruler — DEI GRATIA REX BOEMIE ("by the Grace of God, King of Bohemia"), the name of the actual ruler.
Originally, the coin was considered one of the most high-quality and desirable silver coins in Europe. It performed the role of a means of mass international settlements. But, as in the case of most other coins of the world, the Prague groschen became lighter over the years (from 3.86 g to 2.4 g). The purity of silver also decreased — from more than 900 fine at the beginning to about 500 fine later. The diameter remained constant. The level of coinage also varied — at the turn of the 14th and 15th centuries, during the reign of King Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia, the coin lost its reputation as a benchmark. Coins of extremely low quality appeared. In 1547, the issue of Prague groschen was stopped. The dominant place in the monetary circulation of Europe began to be occupied by the thaler — a much larger, but equally high-quality, coin.
The name of the coin is connected, of course, with the geography of minting — the city of Prague. Although, in fact, the mint was actually located 60 km from Prague — in Kutná Hora.
There is an opinion that it was this coin that gave the name in the Ukrainian language to money in general, because Money (Ukrainian "Гроші") comes from Prague groschen (Ukrainian "Празький грош").
