Currencies/German schwaren
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Introduction
The Schwaren (also known as Schwarer Pfennig or Sware) was a low-value copper coin used in northern Germany from the 14th century until the 19th century. It originated as a regional variant of the pfennig and circulated mainly in Bremen, Oldenburg, and nearby territories.
History
The Schwaren first appeared in the late Middle Ages, around the 14th century, as a small trade coin used in markets and local commerce across northwestern Germany. It developed from the pfennig system of the Holy Roman Empire, where numerous towns issued their own copper or billon coins for everyday transactions.
In Bremen and Oldenburg, the Schwaren became a standard small-denomination currency by the 17th century, continuing into the 19th century.
The coin’s name derived from its dark (blackened) copper color, from which “Schwaren” (black coins) was taken.
They were officially minted in various local mints, including Bremen, Jever, and Oldenburg, until about 1866, when they were replaced by newer decimalized coinage systems.
Coins
Schwaren coins were simple copper pieces issued in low denominations, often marked only with a value or mint initials. Their designs were typically minimal, displaying local crests or monograms of the issuing authority. They circulated in multiples such as 2, 4, 8, and 16 Schwaren, corresponding to pfennig and groschen systems in use at the time.
Currency
The Schwaren belonged to the minor coinage systems of northern Germany. Exchange rates varied by region, but in Bremen and Oldenburg, 8 to 16 Schwaren equaled 1 Grote, and 72 Schwaren equaled 1 Reichsthaler under some standards. These coins served primarily for small purchases, wages, and taxes among local populations.
Legacy
The Schwaren represents one of the last forms of regional pfennig coinage before the standardization of German money. It provides insight into local economies that relied on small copper change well into the modern era. Today, surviving Schwaren coins are of interest to historians and numismatists studying northern German trade and minting traditions.