Krajcár

The Kreuzer (), in English usually kreutzer ( ), was a coin and unit of currency in the southern German states prior to the introduction of the German gold mark in 1871/73, and in Austria and Switzerland. After 1760 it was made of copper. In south Germany the ''kreuzer'' was typically worth 4 ''pfennigs'' and there were 60 ''kreuzers'' to a ''gulden''.

Early history

The ''kreuzer'' goes back to a ''groschen'' coin minted in Merano in South Tyrol in 1271 (the so-called ''Etscher Kreuzer''). Because of the double cross (German: ''Kreuz'') on the face of the coin, it was soon given the name ''Kreuzer''. It spread in the 15th and 16th centuries throughout the south of the German-speaking area. The Imperial Coinage Act of 1551 made them the unit for small silver coins.

In 1559 a value of 60 ''kreuzer'' to 1 ''gulden'' had been adopted throughout the southern states of the Holy Roman Empire, but the northern German states declined to join, and used ''groschen'' instead of ''kreuzer''. The ''kreuzer'' in turn was worth about 4.2 ''pfennigs'' ("pennies"). Thus one (golden) ''gulden'' was worth 60 ''kreuzers'' or 252 ''pfennigs''. Later currencies adopted a standard relationship of 240 ''pfennigs'' = 60 ''kreuzers'' = 1 ''gulden''.

Following the adoption of the in 1754, two distinct Kreuzer came into being. The first, sometimes referred to as the , was worth 1/120 of a , valuing the gulden at half a . This was used in

Austria-Hungary. However, the states of southern Germany adopted a smaller Kreuzer worth 1/144 of a , thus valuing the Gulden at 5/12 of a . In fact, the southern German states issued coins denominated in Kreuzer up to 6 Kreuzer (equal to 5 ), but in for higher denominations.

South Germany 1837–1873

The South German Currency Union of 1837 used a system of 60 ''kreuzers'' = 1 ''gulden'' and 1¾ ''gulden'' = 1 ''thaler'', with the ''kreuzer'' equal to the old Kreuzer Landmünze. These ''kreuzers'' continued in circulation until decimalization, following the unification of Germany in 1871.

Austria-Hungary 1857–1892

Austria-Hungary decimalized in 1857, adopting a system of 100 kreutzers = 1 Austro-Hungarian florin. 1½ florins = 1 Vereinsthaler. The kreutzer was known as ''krajczár'' in Hungarian (''krajcár'' in modern orthography), ''krejcar'' in Czech, ''grajciar'' in Slovak, ''krajcar'' in Slovene and Serbocroatian, ''creițar'' or ''crăițar'' in Romanian, ''grajcar'' in Polish.

See also

* ''Groschen''
* ''Pfennig''

References

External links

*

{{Pfennig
Silver coins
Currencies of Austria
Currencies of Germany
Currencies of Austria-Hungary