As I had alluded earlier , the head of a dictionary project of European history has contacted me to write the article on the guilder (also provided for numismatic, an article on the bulk and another on the penny, I believe - and probably one or two others).
The aim was to produce a relatively short article, synthetic, not shown, to a large and fairly educated (but not specialist) with the additional constraint very interesting integrate this leaflet in a dictionary of European history.
So I wrote a first version of this leaflet. I then reread the instructions, including:
Thus, we would find the phases of unification and fracture of Europe to Christianity in the Enlightenment, revolutions of Europe and nations that economic integration. The focus will naturally put on inheritance, changes and transfers between the Middle Ages and modern times.
Wherever possible, each article will propose a vision of the realities and processes in a European dimension. It is not to develop a comprehensive overview on a topic, but try to understand its importance in building a European identity or the refusal of this construction.
It was therefore necessary to account for a phenomenon of European dimension without anticipating the European reality of the twentieth century. Lucky for me, the guilder was really such a dimension, and the risk was not too important to the teleology (I do not think I have been tempted to talk about the euro at any time whatsoever). Wherever possible, each article will propose a vision of the realities and processes in a European dimension. It is not to develop a comprehensive overview on a topic, but try to understand its importance in building a European identity or the refusal of this construction.
Still, after rereading the instructions, I tried to bend my speech view of this project. I submit two versions, first for the information they provide, and for comparing the two that made it even more interesting.
obviously not hesitate to tell me about any mistake I could have committed.
First version
Appearance
The florin was the first gold coin minted in the West since the Merovingian era. An increasing flow of wealth from the twelfth century gradually makes necessary the use of gold coins in order to avoid excessively large amounts of money.
In particular, trade relations with Latin states of the East appeared in the early twelfth century after the first Crusades, and the proliferation of fairs, promote greater trade and therefore a currency exchange high intrinsic value.
Until the mid-thirteenth century, only the money, inherited from the Carolingian reform, coins of one to two grams containing approximately 50% of money circulating in Christendom, and their low-precious metal forced to move masses are too large.
Most payscommencent to hit multiple money, big money worth 10 to 20 pence, with an alloy containing a lot more money (the King of France St. Louis 1260-1263). But some merchants, especially Italians, already have international networks, for which a large silver coin is not enough.
If need was felt throughout Europe, Florence is hitting the first gold coin, in 1252: the florin, 3.5 g of gold about 24 carats. Venice
imitates in 1285 and created the ducat, the same proportion of precious metal.
This adoption of a single system facilitates the exchange currency at the time of circulation goods, and promotes the adoption of the guilder (and the ducat) throughout the West. These two currencies and gold dominate throughout the late Middle Ages the diversity of gold coins, whose varieties proliferated from the fourteenth century, and many are struck only a few years.
Another factor in the spread of the guilder is the intense activity of Florentine merchants, aided by an agreement between Pisa and Florence (1317), which gives them access to the sea
The guilder is not only a circulation coin, but is also used as currency hoarding.
Monetary Type
The guilder on the right shows a lily florencées, symbol of the city, with the name of the city (Florentia), and on the reverse St. John the Baptist in the foot, protector of the city (S. Iohannes B).
Propagation and imitation
Many treasures bear witness to the wide circulation of the guilder, throughout Europe (including Scandinavia) and the Mediterranean, especially towards the Balkans and Latin states of the East.
Because of its success among merchants, the guilder is one of the most imitated parts of the Middle Ages. Must still understand what means imitation. It is in effect: Imitation
complete with the same obverse and reverse. Only the captions are changed to place the name of the new transmitter. The first is an imitator of Pope John XXII (1316-1334) in his workshop at Pont-de-Sorgue, near Avignon (1322) Imitation
"hybrid", where only one of the two sides resumed, the first of these hybrids is struck by the Roman Senate in 1305, replacing the lily by a shield. Gold Coins
no identity type, but the content of precious metal is modeled on that of guilders, to be more easily used by merchants.
Imitation "strict" are subject to the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries in Italy, Spain, France (particularly in the Rhone Valley), terra Empire (Austria, Germany, Netherlands, Flanders) and even in present-day Poland. They are also found in a workshop of the Peloponnese (Kastro-Kyllini) and Ephesus (Turkey). Imitations hybrid cover the same geographical area.
The guilder in terms of written sources refers to both Florence guilders their imitations, but even expands to describe the gold coins of the same value. The name sometimes acquires value generic for a gold coin or a silver coin.
If these gold coins circulate least in modern times in favor of heavy silver coins (whose proliferation is facilitated by both the silver mines of central Europe and those of the Americas), Last florins were struck in the nineteenth century.
Bibliography
William D. Ray, "Early imitations of The Gold florin," Numismatic Chronicle , 2004, vol. 164, p. 183-199
Alan M. Stahl, Zecca: The Mint of Venice in the Middle Ages , Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, New York: American Numismatic Society, 463 p. Mario
Bernocchi, The della Republica fiorentina monete , Florence: Olschki, 1974-1985, 5 tt III: Documentazione , P. 55-124, and t. V: Zecchi imitazioni di e di monete ibrid Florentine, 168 p., 420 pl.
Second version
The inevitable appearance of the guilder
Following the gradual disintegration of the Roman Empire, the gold coin ceases to be a necessity in the early Middle Ages, and the latest gold coins were minted under the Merovingians (seventh century), as is fast becoming a new type of species : Denier containing 0.5 to 1 gd'argent only coinage (with subdivisions in some areas) throughout the West.
Encouraged by the economic expansion of the twelfth century, embodied particularly in major international fairs (Champagne, Flanders) and by increased trade in the Mediterranean (the Crusader states born of the First Crusade at the beginning of twelfth century), long-distance trade, and the formation of large fortunes, make it increasingly necessary to the emergence of a gold coin to facilitate the transfer of considerable value. In these large flows of money and property, the Italian merchants and bankers play a key role. To replace the penny, the first pieces are large silver coins from the first half of the thirteenth century.
If need was felt throughout Europe, Florence is hitting the first gold coin, in 1252: the florin, 3.5 g of gold about 24 carats. This piece shows on one side a lily florencées, symbol of the city, with the name of the city (Florentia), and on the reverse St. John the Baptist in the foot, protector of the city (S. Iohannes B). Following the success of
florin from merchants and money changers in Venice in 1285 created the duchy, with its own currency type but the same proportion of precious metal.
This adoption of a single system facilitates the exchange currency at the time of movement of goods, and promotes the adoption of the guilder (and the ducat) throughout the West. These two currencies and gold dominate throughout the late Middle Ages the diversity of gold coins, whose varieties proliferated from the fourteenth century, and many are struck only a few years.
Propagation and imitation
Many treasures bear witness to the wide circulation the guilder, throughout Europe (including Scandinavia) and the Mediterranean, especially towards the Balkans and Latin states of the East.
Because of its success among merchants, the guilder is one of the most imitated parts of the Middle Ages. Must still understand what means imitation. It is in effect: Imitation
complete with identical obverse and reverse. Only the captions are changed to place the name of the new transmitter. The first is an imitator of Pope John XXII (1316-1334) in his workshop at Pont-de-Sorgue, near Avignon (1322) Imitation
"hybrid", where one of two faces only resumed: the first of these hybrids is struck by the Roman Senate in 1305, replacing the lily by a shield. Gold Coins
no identity type, but the content of precious metal is modeled on that of guilders, to be more easily used by merchants.
Imitation "strict" and hybrids are hit in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries in Italy, Spain, France (particularly in the Rhone Valley), terra Empire (Austria, Germany, Netherlands, Flanders) and even in present-day Poland. They are also found in Greece and Turkey.
Bibliography
William D. Ray, "Early imitations of the gold florin," Numismatic Chronicle, 2004, vol. 164, p. 183-199
Alan M. Stahl, Zecca: The Mint of Venice in the Middle Ages , Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, New York: American Numismatic Society, 463 p. Mario
Bernocchi coins of the Republic Fiorentin a, Florence: Olschki, 1974-1985, 5 tt III: Documentation , p. 55-124, et t. V: of imitations and hybrids of mints coins Florentine, 168 p., 420 pl.
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