Currencies/Liege liard
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Introduction
The Liège Liard was a copper coin denomination issued by the Prince-Bishopric of Liège, an ecclesiastical principality within the Holy Roman Empire. It served as a low-value unit used in everyday trade and accounted for small monetary transactions in the local Florin Brabant–Liège system.
History
The liard circulated widely across the southern Low Countries during the 17th and 18th centuries, with Liège minting its own versions under successive prince-bishops. Under Georges-Louis de Berghes (1724–1743) and Jean-Théodore of Bavaria (1744–1763), several copper issues of liards were produced between 1726 and 1752. These coins reflected Liège’s autonomy and its stable local economy within the fragmented European monetary landscape of the time. Production of liards ceased by the late 18th century, following the French occupation in 1794, when the principality’s independent coinage system was abolished.
Currency
The Liège monetary structure was based on the Florin Brabant–Liège, with the liard serving as a minor subdivision
1 Florin = 20 Sous
1 Sou = 3 Liards
This hierarchy allowed liards to function as the smallest copper unit, facilitating low-value commerce and local transactions.
Coins
The Liège Liard was typically struck in copper, weighing a few grams and featuring designs emblematic of Liège’s ecclesiastical rule.
1726–1727 Copper liard of Georges-Louis de Berghes, displaying the bishop’s coat of arms and mint date.
1750–1752 Copper liard of Jean-Théodore of Bavaria, showing similar heraldic and religious motifs.
All liards were hammer-struck, slightly irregular in form, and bore inscriptions referencing Liège’s sovereignty and issuing authority. These small coins circulated widely in markets throughout the principality and nearby regions.
Legacy
The liard remains a historical symbol of Liège’s monetary independence and economic life prior to its annexation by France. It represents the enduring tradition of local copper coinage across medieval and early modern Europe.