Currencies/German vereinsthaler
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Introduction
The Vereinsthaler (“Union Thaler”) was a silver coin introduced in 1857 as a standardized monetary unit across the German states of the German Customs Union (Zollverein). It replaced older regional thaler types and remained in circulation until replaced by the German mark in 1873, though it continued to be legal tender until 1908.
History
Before the Vereinsthaler’s introduction, the German states used numerous thaler variants—Reichsthaler, Conventionsthaler, and Kurantthaler—each with different weights and silver contents. To unify these currencies, the Vienna Monetary Treaty (Wiener Münzvertrag) was signed on 24 January 1857, establishing a uniform coin system across the member states of the Zollverein, Austria, and Liechtenstein.
Under this treaty, the Vereinsthaler was defined to contain 16.667 grams of fine silver and to be equal in value throughout the union. It became the principal large silver coin of the North German Confederation (1867–1871) and continued as legal tender in the German Empire after unification.
When the mark and pfennig system was introduced by the Coinage Act of 1873, the Vereinsthaler was officially replaced at the fixed rate of:
1 Vereinsthaler = 3 Marks.
However, these coins remained in active use until demonetization in 1908, due to their stable silver value and wide acceptance.
Coins
The Vereinsthaler was struck in .900 fine silver, weighing 18.52 grams gross. Most coins featured the issuing state’s monarch or coat of arms on the obverse, and the imperial eagle or value inscription on the reverse. Common issuers included Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony, and the Free Cities such as Hamburg and Bremen. Some commemorative versions were minted to mark state events and German unification milestones.
Currency
Under the treaty, the Vereinsthaler served as the standard unit of account: 1 Vereinsthaler = 30 Silbergroschen = 360 Pfennige (Prussian standard). It represented the culmination of centuries of thaler evolution, establishing a single silver-based monetary system for the German-speaking world prior to the gold mark standard.
Legacy
The Vereinsthaler symbolized the economic integration of the Zollverein and laid the groundwork for the unified currency of the German Empire. Its stable silver content and standardized value made it a trusted trade coin in central Europe. Collectors regard the Vereinsthaler as one of the last and most refined expressions of classical silver thaler coinage.