Poltura
Encyclopedia
The poltura is a historic Hungarian
monetary unit
that was struck under the Hungarian rulers Leopold I
, Joseph I
, Francis II Rákóczi
, Charles III
and Maria Theresa
. Its forerunner was the Polish poltorak, a coin equal to one and half grosz
(półtora means one and a half in Polish
).
After 1526 (see Battle of Mohács
) Poland gained a greater role in the reorganized economy and foreign trade of Hungary. As a result an increasing number of Polish small coins flew into the country. In Royal Hungary, Leopold I was the first who struck silver poltura on the influence of the Polish poltorak. The value of the coin was equal to ½ Groschen
(Hungarian: garas) or 1½ Kreuzer
(krajczár). Although even Charles III made preparations to mint poltura of copper
(evidenced by trial strikes), finally it was Maria Theresa who orderd minting of copper poltura coins by the imperial patent of 27 March 1761. Joseph II
, her successor did not mint polturas any more.
Under Rákóczi, polturas were initially struck from silver
, but purchasing of arms required bigger and bigger portion of the noble metal
reserves. Consequently, copper 1, 10 and 20 poltura coins were stuck for the inner circulation (4 poltura coins are only known as trial strikes]]) to replace silver coins, these can therefore be considered as emergency money. The general design included the small coat of arms of Hungary
with the Holy Crown for the obverse and Madonna with the child Christ for the reverse. The coins also featured indicaton of year of minting and value, as well as mintmark. The most common denomination was the ten poltura coin, which was collocquially called libertás for the latin inscription PRO LIBERTATE (for liberty).
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
monetary unit
Currency
In economics, currency refers to a generally accepted medium of exchange. These are usually the coins and banknotes of a particular government, which comprise the physical aspects of a nation's money supply...
that was struck under the Hungarian rulers Leopold I
Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
| style="float:right;" | Leopold I was a Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary and King of Bohemia. A member of the Habsburg family, he was the second son of Emperor Ferdinand III and his first wife, Maria Anna of Spain. His maternal grandparents were Philip III of Spain and Margaret of Austria...
, Joseph I
Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor
Joseph I , Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia, King of Hungary, King of the Romans was the elder son of Emperor Leopold I and his third wife, Eleonor Magdalene of Neuburg....
, Francis II Rákóczi
Francis II Rákóczi
Francis II Rákóczi Hungarian aristocrat, he was the leader of the Hungarian uprising against the Habsburgs in 1703-11 as the prince of the Estates Confederated for Liberty of the Kingdom of Hungary. He was also Prince of Transylvania, an Imperial Prince, and a member of the Order of the Golden...
, Charles III
Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles VI was the penultimate Habsburg sovereign of the Habsburg Empire. He succeeded his elder brother, Joseph I, as Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia , Hungary and Croatia , Archduke of Austria, etc., in 1711...
and Maria Theresa
Maria Theresa of Austria
Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina was the only female ruler of the Habsburg dominions and the last of the House of Habsburg. She was the sovereign of Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Mantua, Milan, Lodomeria and Galicia, the Austrian Netherlands and Parma...
. Its forerunner was the Polish poltorak, a coin equal to one and half grosz
Grosz
Grosz may refer to:* Grosz, a coin used in Poland as a hundredth part of 1 złoty. Złoty is Polish currency* Kraków grosz, 14th century coins of Kraków* Groschen, a coin used in various statesGrosz or Grósz is the surname of:...
(półtora means one and a half in Polish
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
).
After 1526 (see Battle of Mohács
Battle of Mohács
The Battle of Mohács was fought on August 29, 1526 near Mohács, Hungary. In the battle, forces of the Kingdom of Hungary led by King Louis II of Hungary and Bohemia were defeated by forces of the Ottoman Empire led by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent....
) Poland gained a greater role in the reorganized economy and foreign trade of Hungary. As a result an increasing number of Polish small coins flew into the country. In Royal Hungary, Leopold I was the first who struck silver poltura on the influence of the Polish poltorak. The value of the coin was equal to ½ Groschen
Groschen
Groschen was the name for a coin used in various German-speaking states as well as some non-German-speaking countries of Central Europe , the Danubian principalities...
(Hungarian: garas) or 1½ Kreuzer
Kreuzer
The Kreuzer, in English usually kreutzer, was a silver coin and unit of currency existing in the southern German states prior to the unification of Germany, and in Austria.-Early history:...
(krajczár). Although even Charles III made preparations to mint poltura of copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
(evidenced by trial strikes), finally it was Maria Theresa who orderd minting of copper poltura coins by the imperial patent of 27 March 1761. Joseph II
Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor
Joseph II was Holy Roman Emperor from 1765 to 1790 and ruler of the Habsburg lands from 1780 to 1790. He was the eldest son of Empress Maria Theresa and her husband, Francis I...
, her successor did not mint polturas any more.
Under Rákóczi, polturas were initially struck from silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
, but purchasing of arms required bigger and bigger portion of the noble metal
Noble metal
Noble metals are metals that are resistant to corrosion and oxidation in moist air, unlike most base metals. They tend to be precious, often due to their rarity in the Earth's crust...
reserves. Consequently, copper 1, 10 and 20 poltura coins were stuck for the inner circulation (4 poltura coins are only known as trial strikes]]) to replace silver coins, these can therefore be considered as emergency money. The general design included the small coat of arms of Hungary
Coat of arms of Hungary
The current coat of arms of Hungary was adopted on July 3, 1990, after the end of communist rule. The arms have been used before, both with and without the Holy Crown of Hungary, sometimes as part of a larger, more complex coat of arms, and its elements date back to the Middle Ages.The shield is...
with the Holy Crown for the obverse and Madonna with the child Christ for the reverse. The coins also featured indicaton of year of minting and value, as well as mintmark. The most common denomination was the ten poltura coin, which was collocquially called libertás for the latin inscription PRO LIBERTATE (for liberty).
Source
- Münzen Lexikon - Poltura
- Magyar katolikus lexikon (Hungarian Catholic Encyclopedia) - Magyar pénztörténet (Hungarian Money History)
- Pallas Nagy Lexikona (Pallas' Great Encyclopedia) - Poltura