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The Vereinsthaler ("union" thaler) was a standard silver
Silver

Silver is a 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....
 coin
Coin

A coin is a piece of hard material, usually metal or a metallic material, usually in the shape of a Disk , and most often issued by a government....
 used in most German states and the Austrian Empire
Austrian Empire

The Austrian Empire was a periodization successor state empire founded on a remnant of the Holy Roman Empire centered on what is today's Austria that officially lasted from 1804 to 1867....
 in the years prior to German unification
German Empire

The German Empire is the name commonly used in English to describe Germany from the unification of Germany and proclamation of William I, German Emperor as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became Weimar republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of William II, German Emperor ....
.

Vereinsthaler was introduced in 1857 to replace the previous standard Thaler
Thaler

The Thaler was a silver coin used throughout Europe for almost four hundred years. Its name lives on in various currencies as the dollar or Slovenian tolar....
 (based on the Prussian Thaler
Prussian thaler

The Thaler was the currency of Prussia until 1857. From 1750, it was distinct from north German Reichsthaler unit of account in that it contained 1/14 of a Cologne mark of silver, rather than 1/12, and was minted as a coin....
) which was very slightly heavier. Whilst the earlier Thaler had contained one fourteenth of a Cologne mark
Cologne mark

The Cologne Mark was a unit of weight equivalent to 233.856 grams. It was introduced by the Danish King Hans in the late 15th century and was used as a standard for weighing metals....
 of silver (16.704 gram
Gram

The gram , ; symbol g, is a Physical unit of mass.Originally defined as "the absolute weight of a volume of pure water equal to the cube of the hundredth part of a metre, and at the temperature of melting ice" , a gram is now defined as one one-thousandth of the SI base unit, the kilogram, or Scientific notation kg, which itself is...
s), the Vereinsthaler contained 16 2/3 gram
Gram

The gram , ; symbol g, is a Physical unit of mass.Originally defined as "the absolute weight of a volume of pure water equal to the cube of the hundredth part of a metre, and at the temperature of melting ice" , a gram is now defined as one one-thousandth of the SI base unit, the kilogram, or Scientific notation kg, which itself is...
s of silver, which was indicated on the coins as one thirtieth of a pound
Pound (mass)

The pound or pound-mass is a Units of measurement of massused in the Imperial unit, United States customary units and other systems of measurement....
 (pfund, equal to 500 grams).

Vereinsthaler was used as the base for several different currencies.






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The Vereinsthaler ("union" thaler) was a standard silver
Silver

Silver is a 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....
 coin
Coin

A coin is a piece of hard material, usually metal or a metallic material, usually in the shape of a Disk , and most often issued by a government....
 used in most German states and the Austrian Empire
Austrian Empire

The Austrian Empire was a periodization successor state empire founded on a remnant of the Holy Roman Empire centered on what is today's Austria that officially lasted from 1804 to 1867....
 in the years prior to German unification
German Empire

The German Empire is the name commonly used in English to describe Germany from the unification of Germany and proclamation of William I, German Emperor as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became Weimar republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of William II, German Emperor ....
.

Introduction

The Vereinsthaler was introduced in 1857 to replace the previous standard Thaler
Thaler

The Thaler was a silver coin used throughout Europe for almost four hundred years. Its name lives on in various currencies as the dollar or Slovenian tolar....
 (based on the Prussian Thaler
Prussian thaler

The Thaler was the currency of Prussia until 1857. From 1750, it was distinct from north German Reichsthaler unit of account in that it contained 1/14 of a Cologne mark of silver, rather than 1/12, and was minted as a coin....
) which was very slightly heavier. Whilst the earlier Thaler had contained one fourteenth of a Cologne mark
Cologne mark

The Cologne Mark was a unit of weight equivalent to 233.856 grams. It was introduced by the Danish King Hans in the late 15th century and was used as a standard for weighing metals....
 of silver (16.704 gram
Gram

The gram , ; symbol g, is a Physical unit of mass.Originally defined as "the absolute weight of a volume of pure water equal to the cube of the hundredth part of a metre, and at the temperature of melting ice" , a gram is now defined as one one-thousandth of the SI base unit, the kilogram, or Scientific notation kg, which itself is...
s), the Vereinsthaler contained 16 2/3 gram
Gram

The gram , ; symbol g, is a Physical unit of mass.Originally defined as "the absolute weight of a volume of pure water equal to the cube of the hundredth part of a metre, and at the temperature of melting ice" , a gram is now defined as one one-thousandth of the SI base unit, the kilogram, or Scientific notation kg, which itself is...
s of silver, which was indicated on the coins as one thirtieth of a pound
Pound (mass)

The pound or pound-mass is a Units of measurement of massused in the Imperial unit, United States customary units and other systems of measurement....
 (pfund, equal to 500 grams).

Use in Different States

The Vereinsthaler was used as the base for several different currencies. In Prussia
Prussia

Prussia was, most recently, a historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. This state had for centuries substantial influence on Germany and European history....
 and several other northern German states, the Vereinsthaler was the standard unit of account, divided into 30 Silbergroschen
Silbergroschen

The Silbergroschen was a coin used in Prussia and several other German Confederation states in northern Germany during the 19th century, worth one thirtieth of a Thaler....
, each of 12 Pfennig
Pfennig

The Pfennig is an old Germany coin or note, which existed from the 9th century until the introduction of the euro in 2002.While a valuable coin during the Middle Ages, it lost its value through the years and was the minor coin of the Mark in the German Reich, the former West Germany and the German Democratic Republic , and afte...
. See Prussian Vereinsthaler
Prussian vereinsthaler

The Vereinsthaler was the currency of Prussia between 1857 and 1873. It replaced the Prussian thaler at par and was replaced by the German gold mark at a rate of 1 Vereinsthaler = 3 Mark....
.

In Saxony
Saxony

The Free State of Saxony is a States of Germany of Germany. Located in the southeastern part of present-day Germany. It is the tenth-largest German state in area and the sixth largest in population , of Germany's sixteen states....
, the Neugroschen
Neugroschen

The neugroschen is a coin that was introduced in 1841 in Saxony. It was equivalent to the Prussian silbergroschen but was divided into 10 pfennig, not 12 as in Prussia....
 was equal to the Prussian Silbergroschen but was divided into 10 Pfennig. See Saxon Vereinsthaler
Saxon vereinsthaler

The Vereinsthaler was the currency of Saxony between 1857 and 1873. It replaced the Saxon thaler at par and was replaced by the German gold mark at a rate of 1 Vereinsthaler = 3 Mark....
. Some other north German states, such as Hannover, used the name Groschen
Groschen

Groschen was the name for a coin used in various German language-speaking states as well as some non-German-speaking countries of Central Europe , the Danubian principalities....
 rather than Silbergroschen for a coin of 12 Pfennig (see Hannovarian Vereinsthaler
Hannovarian vereinsthaler

The Vereinsthaler was the currency of the Kingdom of Hannover between 1857 and 1866. It replaced the Hannovarian thaler at par and was replaced by the Prussian vereinsthaler when the kingdom was annexed by Prussia....
), whilst the Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg

Mecklenburg is a region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The largest cities of the region are Rostock, Schwerin, and Neubrandenburg....
 states and Hesse-Kassel
Hesse-Kassel

The Landgraviate of Hessen-Kassel or Hesse-Cassel was a Reichsfrei principality of the Holy Roman Empire that came into existence when the Landgraviate of Hesse was divided in 1567 upon the death of Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse....
 (or Hesse-Cassel) used entirely distinct subdivisions (see Mecklenburg Vereinsthaler
Mecklenburg vereinsthaler

The Vereinsthaler was the currency of the two Grand Duchies of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Strelitz between 1857 and 1873. It replaced the Mecklenburg thaler at par and was replaced by the German gold mark at a rate of 1 Vereinsthaler = 3 Mark....
 and Hesse-Kassel Vereinsthaler
Hesse-Kassel vereinsthaler

The Vereinsthaler was the currency of the Electorate of Hesse-Kassel between 1858 and 1873. It replaced the Hesse-Kassel thaler at par and was replaced by the German gold mark at a rate of 1 Vereinsthaler = 3 Mark....
.

In southern Germany, states including Bavaria
Bavaria

Bavaria , with an area of and almost 12.5 million inhabitants, is a region located in the southeast of Germany and is the largest States of Germany of Germany by area....
 used the Gulden
South German gulden

The Gulden was the currency of the states of southern Germany between 1754 and 1873. These states included Bavaria, Baden, W?rttemberg, Free City of Frankfurt and Hohenzollern....
 as the standard unit of account, with 1¾ Gulden = 1 Vereinsthaler. The Gulden was divided into 60 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 German Empire, and in Austria....
, each of 4 Pfennig or 8 Heller
Heller (money)

The Heller or H?ller was a German coin valued at half a Pfennig named after city of Hall . The coin was produced beginning in the 13th century as silver pfennig ....
. See Bavarian Gulden
Bavarian gulden

The South German gulden was the currency of Bavaria until 1873. Between 1754 and 1837 it was a unit of account, worth of a Conventionsthaler, used to denominate banknotes but not issued as a coin....
, Baden Gulden
Baden gulden

The South German gulden was a currency of Baden from 1754 until 1873. Until 1821, the Gulden was a unit of account, worth 5/12 of a Conventionsthaler, used to denominate banknotes but not issued as a coin....
, Württemberg Gulden
Württemberg gulden

The South German gulden was the currency of W?rttemberg until 1873. Until 1824, the Gulden was a unit of account and was used to denominate banknotes but was not issued as a coin....
.

In the Austro-Hungarian Empire, a different Gulden
Austro-Hungarian gulden

The Gulden or forint was the currency of the Austria-Hungary between 1754 and 1892 when it was replaced by the Austro-Hungarian krone as part of the introduction of the gold standard....
 (also known as the Florin
Florin

Florin may refer to:Modern currency* The Netherlands Antillean guilder is also known as a "florin", and abbreviated NAFl* Aruban florin, the currency of Aruba...
 or, in Hungarian
Hungarian language

Hungarian is a Uralic languages unrelated to most other languages in Europe. It is mainly spoken in Hungary and by the Hungarian minorities in the seven neighbouring countries....
, Forint
Hungarian forint

The forint is the currency of Hungary. It is divided into 100 fill?r, although fill?r coins have not been in circulation since 1999. At the end of February 2009 the exchange rates were approximately 234 Ft for one United States dollar, and 297 Ft for one Euro....
) was the unit of account, with 1½ Gulden = 1 Vereinsthaler. The Gulden was divided into 100 Kreuzer.

Withdrawal

German unification saw the introduction of the Goldmark
German gold mark

The Goldmark is the name used for the currency of the German Empire from 1873 to 1914....
 at a rate of 3 mark = 1 Vereinsthaler. Consequently, the new 10 pfennig coins were equivalent to the old Groschen of northern Germany and this became a nickname for the denomination. The Vereinsthaler coins continued to circulate as 3 mark coins until 1908, when they were replaced with smaller 3 mark coins. The name Thaler for 3 marks persisted until the 1930s.

Austria-Hungary stopped issuing Vereinsthaler coins in 1867, following the Austro-Prussian War
Austro-Prussian War

The Austro-Prussian War was a war fought in 1866 between the Austrian Empire and its German allies on one side and the Kingdom of Prussia with its German allies and Kingdom of Italy on the other, that resulted in Prussian dominance over the German states....
.