
The so-called Lithuanian long currency was a type of money used by the
Baltic tribes and in the early
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a sovereign state in northeastern Europe that existed from the 13th century, succeeding the Kingdom of Lithuania, to the late 18th century, when the territory was suppressed during the 1795 Partitions of Poland, ...
in the 12th–15th centuries. It was
commodity money
Commodity money is money whose value comes from a commodity of which it is made. Commodity money consists of objects having value or use in themselves ( intrinsic value) as well as their value in buying goods.
This is in contrast to representa ...
in the form of
silver
Silver is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag () and atomic number 47. A soft, whitish-gray, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and reflectivity of any metal. ...
ingot
An ingot is a piece of relatively pure material, usually metal, that is Casting, cast into a shape suitable for further processing. In steelmaking, it is the first step among semi-finished casting products. Ingots usually require a second procedu ...
s. Most often they were semicircular rods about in length and weighted between . Other trading centers, notably
Kievan Rus'
Kievan Rus', also known as Kyivan Rus,.
* was the first East Slavs, East Slavic state and later an amalgam of principalities in Eastern Europe from the late 9th to the mid-13th century.John Channon & Robert Hudson, ''Penguin Historical At ...
and
Veliky Novgorod
Veliky Novgorod ( ; , ; ), also known simply as Novgorod (), is the largest city and administrative centre of Novgorod Oblast, Russia. It is one of the oldest cities in Russia, being first mentioned in the 9th century. The city lies along the ...
, developed their own version of such ingots which are known as grivna or
grzywna. The ingots were replaced by minted coins in the middle of the 15th century.
Terminology

The currency was mentioned already by
Tadeusz Czacki
Tadeusz Czacki (28 August 1765 in Poryck, Volhynia – 8 February 1813 in Dubno) was a Polish historian, pedagogue and numismatist. Czacki played an important part in the Enlightenment in Poland.
Biography
Czacki was born in Poryck in Volhynia ...
(1800) and
Simonas Daukantas
Simonas Daukantas (; 28 October 1793 – 6 December 1864) was a Lithuanian/Samogitian historian, writer, and ethnographer. One of the pioneers of the Lithuanian National Revival, he is credited as the author of the first book on the history of Li ...
(1845). In 1932, Povilas Karmaza published an extensive study on a hoard found in Ribiškės. He measured, weighted, and classified about 400 pieces of semicircular cast ingots, but this work was limited to this one hoard. G. Federov (1949) was the first to attempt to create a classification system and
topography
Topography is the study of the forms and features of land surfaces. The topography of an area may refer to the landforms and features themselves, or a description or depiction in maps.
Topography is a field of geoscience and planetary sci ...
of the findings to date. This work was still confused and incomplete. In 1981, Zenonas Duksa published a comprehensive study on coins and ingots that circulated before the advent of local coin minting. Though many discoveries were made since then, it remains the standard reference work on the subject.
The currency is known by a great variety of terms and there is no clear consensus among researchers which of them is most appropriate:
*Ilgasis (plural ''ilgieji''): from the Lithuanian word ''ilgas'' meaning ''long''.
*Kapa: from
kopa, a unit of measurement equal to 60.
*Grivina: from Slavic
grzywna
*Rublis: from Slavic
ruble
The ruble or rouble (; rus, рубль, p=rublʲ) is a currency unit. Currently, currencies named ''ruble'' in circulation include the Russian ruble (RUB, ₽) in Russia and the Belarusian ruble (BYN, Rbl) in Belarus. These currencies are s ...
. Half ruble is also known as poltina.
*Izroj (Изрой): from inscription found on one of the ingots.
Forged predecessors
A silver-based economy developed in the 9th century. Lacking minted coins,
Vikings
Vikings were seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden),
who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded, and settled throughout parts of Europe.Roesdahl, pp. 9� ...
developed
bullion
Bullion is non-ferrous metal that has been refined to a high standard of elemental purity. The term is ordinarily applied to bulk metal used in the production of coins and especially to precious metals such as gold and silver. It comes from ...
-based trading, using
hacksilver
Hacksilver (sometimes referred to as hacksilber) consists of fragments of cut and bent silver items that were used as bullion or as currency by weight during the Middle Ages.
Use
Hacksilver was common among the Norsemen or Vikings, as a result ...
and ingots. The earliest silver ingots that were used as currency were
forge
A forge is a type of hearth used for heating metals, or the workplace (smithy) where such a hearth is located. The forge is used by the smith to heat a piece of metal to a temperature at which it becomes easier to shape by forging, or to the ...
d (''kaltiniai lydiniai''). They circulated from the 10th to the early 12th centuries and are very rare in Lithuania. As of 1981, forged ingots were found only seven times within the territory of Lithuania. Archaeologist Duksa identified three sub-types: spiral bracelet, ribbon ingot, and band ingot.
Spiral bracelets are made of a thin strip of silver coiling around three to seven times. The items are well made, decorative. Only one example is known from Lithuania (illustration: Duksa (1981), plate XVIII). It is not known when and where the bracelet was found, but it is kept at the
National Museum of Lithuania. The coil goes around 4.5 times. It weighs and measures in diameter. Such items are a lot more common in
Gotland
Gotland (; ; ''Gutland'' in Gutnish), also historically spelled Gottland or Gothland (), is Sweden's largest island. It is also a Provinces of Sweden, province/Counties of Sweden, county (Swedish län), Municipalities of Sweden, municipality, a ...
, but they are also found in Poland, Germany (
Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein (; ; ; ; ; occasionally in English ''Sleswick-Holsatia'') is the Northern Germany, northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical Duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of S ...
), Finland. They are dated to the 10th century.
Ribbon ingots (''žiediniai lydiniai'') are made of broader ( in width) rectangular strip of silver. They are either a straight stick or a small spiral tube (illustration: Vaitkunskienė (1981), plate 9). They are roughly made, with clear signs of forging, not decorative. They are more commonly found in Gotland with a few artifacts known from southern Sweden, Poland, and Latvia. They are dated to the 11th century. In Lithuania, they were found in five locations: Gudai,
Mažeikiai District
Mažeikiai (; Samogitian: ''Mažeikē''; ; ) is a city in northwestern Lithuania, on the Venta River. It has a population of around 32,000, making it the eighth largest city in Lithuania and eighteenth largest city in the Baltic States. The ...
(November 1938, seven items reached museum, average weight ), Įpiltis,
Kretinga District
Kretinga District Municipality is one of 60 municipalities in Lithuania.
Locations in Kretinga District Municipality
* Erškėtynas Stream and Chapel
* Gargždelė
* Kretinga
* Salantai
Salantai () is a small town in Lithuania. It is located ...
(1927 or earlier, one item weighs ),
Joniškis
Joniškis (; Samogitian language, Samogitian: ''Juonėškis''; ) is a city in northern Lithuania with a population of about 9,900. It is located 39 kilometers north of Šiauliai and 14 kilometers south of the Lithuania–Latvia border. Joniškis i ...
(1958, five items, approx. weight ),
Ramygala
Ramygala (, literally "quiet end") is a town in Lithuania. It is located some south from Panevėžys on the banks of the Upytė River, a tributary to the Nevėžis River. According to 2017 estimate, it had 1,440 residents.
Etymology
The name R ...
(1934 or earlier, one item since lost weighted ), and Ruseiniai,
Kėdainiai District
Kėdainiai () is one of the oldest cities in Lithuania. It is located north of Lithuania's second largest city Kaunas on the banks of the Nevėžis River. Kėdainiai were first mentioned in the 1372 Livonian Chronicle of Hermann de Wartberge, its ...
(in 1968–69, one incomplete item weighs ).
Band ingots (''juostiniai lydiniai'') are very similar to a bracelet. Only one example is known from Lithuania (illustration: Vaitkunskienė (1981), plate LXXVI): a rectangular strip of silver is decorated from the outside with groves and raised dots. It was found in a goldsmith's grave in Graužiai,
Kėdainiai District
Kėdainiai () is one of the oldest cities in Lithuania. It is located north of Lithuania's second largest city Kaunas on the banks of the Nevėžis River. Kėdainiai were first mentioned in the 1372 Livonian Chronicle of Hermann de Wartberge, its ...
during an archaeological excavation of a
grave field
A grave field is a prehistoric cemetery, typically from Bronze Age and Iron Age Europe.
Grave fields are distinguished from necropoleis by the former's lack of remaining above-ground structures, buildings, or grave markers.
Types
Grave fields c ...
in 1938. It weighs . Similar items were also found in
Old Prussia
Prussia (; ; ; ; ; //) is a historical region in Central Europe on the south-eastern coast of the Baltic Sea, that ranges from the Vistula delta in the west to the end of the Curonian Spit in the east and extends inland as far as Masuria, div ...
(
Brodzikowo
Brodzikowo is a settlement in the administrative district of Gmina Mrągowo, within Mrągowo County, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. It lies approximately north of Mrągowo and east of the regional capital Olsztyn
Olsztyn ...
,
Kiwity, and
Łążyn in present-day Poland) and in
Livonia
Livonia, known in earlier records as Livland, is a historical region on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea. It is named after the Livonians, who lived on the shores of present-day Latvia.
By the end of the 13th century, the name was extende ...
(present-day Latvia). No equivalent items are found elsewhere; therefore, archaeologists believe it was a local Baltic invention. They are dated to the first half of the 12th century.
Cast currency

Irregular
cast
Cast may refer to:
Music
* Cast (band), an English alternative rock band
* Cast (Mexican band), a progressive Mexican rock band
* The Cast, a Scottish musical duo: Mairi Campbell and Dave Francis
* ''Cast'', a 2012 album by Trespassers William ...
silver ingots circulated from about 11th to early 12th centuries. Only one such example is known from Lithuania, found in 1938 in Graužiai. Around the second half of the 12th century, supply of minted Western European coins dried up and there was no centralized power in Eastern Europe to take up coin mintage. The period is known as "coinless period". However, merchants needed a means of exchange. Therefore, a local system of cast silver ingots was developed. While silver was imported (there are no silver mines in the region; the main
mining area was in the Upper Harz in Germany), the ingots were cast locally. At first, a wax model was created. Then it was coated with clay and fired in a furnace inside a clay or sand pit. The wax would melt leaving a mold for the ingot. Molten silver was poured into the mold using a special clay scoop. After cooling off, the mold was broken to remove the ingot. Therefore, most molds were one-time use though a few examples of ingots are known that were cast using the same mold. Because of this technique, archaeologists have not discovered any furnaces or molds, only clay spoons and pouring cups.
Semicircular ingots
Semicircular cast ingots are by far the most popular. As of 1981, there some 800 items (about ) found in 40 different locations (22 in Lithuania, 5 in Latvia, 5 in
Kaliningrad Oblast
Kaliningrad Oblast () is the westernmost federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of the Russian Federation. It is a Enclave and exclave, semi-exclave on the Baltic Sea within the Baltic region of Prussia (region), Prussia, surrounded by Pola ...
, 4 in Belarus, 2 in Russia, 1 in Ukraine, and 1 in Poland). All ingots found in Lithuania were discovered accidentally; only in 1985 the first ingots were found during an archaeological excavation in
Kernavė
Kernavė was a medieval capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and today is a tourist attraction and an archeological site (population 238, 2021). It is located in the Širvintos district municipality located in southeast Lithuania. A Lithuanian ...
. Since then more discoveries were made. With the invention of
metal detector
A metal detector is an instrument that detects the nearby presence of metal. Metal detectors are useful for finding metal objects on the surface, underground, and under water. A metal detector consists of a control box, an adjustable shaft, and ...
s and subsequent rise of illegal archaeology, new discoveries are made almost annually, but rarely enter academic circles. The largest discovery was made by a farmer plowing his fields in Ribiškės (now within
Vilnius
Vilnius ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...
) in 1930. Many items were looted by the locals before Povilas Karmaza made an inventory. In total, there were about 530 Lithuanian longs (semicircular cast ingots), 9 Novgorod and 19 Kiev grivnas – with a combined weight of about .
Three-edged ingots
Three-edged ingots is a rare and late sub-type of Lithuanian longs. They are found full or cut in half (halves are also known as ''poltina''). As of 1981, they were found in seven locations in a triangle between
Kaunas
Kaunas (; ) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius, the fourth largest List of cities in the Baltic states by population, city in the Baltic States and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaun ...
,
Vilnius
Vilnius ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...
, and
Alytus
Alytus () is a city with Town privileges, municipal rights in southern Lithuania. It is the List of cities in Lithuania, sixth-largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, 14th-largest city in the Baltic ...
and in
Kretinga
Kretinga (Yiddish: קרעטינגע) is a List of cities in Lithuania, city in Klaipėda County, in north-western Lithuania. It is the capital of the Kretinga District Municipality. It is located east of the popular Baltic Sea resort town of Pala ...
. In total, 38 ingots were found – 5 full and 33 cut in half. In 2002, half of a three-edged ingot was found in the
Lower Castle of Vilnius. In 2010, 52 full and 4 half ingots were found in Grigaičiai near
Naujoji Vilnia
Naujoji Vilnia is an eldership in eastern Vilnius, Lithuania situated along the banks of the Vilnia River. According to the 2011 census, the district had a population of 31,933. This figure grew to 36,507 in 2021, when the newest census was perf ...
. In 2004 and 2007, the Money Museum of the
Bank of Lithuania
The Bank of Lithuania () is the national central bank for Lithuania within the Eurosystem. It was the Lithuanian central bank from 1922 to 2014, albeit with a long suspension between 1940 and 1993. It issued the Lithuanian litas between 1922 ...
acquired two halves of three-edged ingots (circumstances of their discovery are not known). One of them is particularly interesting as it is
countermark
A countermarked, punchmarked or counterstamped coin is a coin that has had some additional mark or symbol punched into it at some point after it was originally produced while in circulation. This practice is now obsolete.
Countermarking can be ...
ed with what appears to be a crown inside a circular rope border. In 2002 and 2003, the first three-edged ingots were found outside of Lithuania: 9 halves in Palačany (Палачаны) and 10 halves plus 1 full bar in Litva (Літва) villages in
Maladzyechna Raion, Belarus.

The three-edged ingots are most often found together with earliest coins minted in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and with
Prague groschen
The Prague groschen (, , , ) was a groschen-type silver coin that was issued by Wenceslaus II of Bohemia since 1300 in the Kingdom of Bohemia and became very common throughout Medieval Central Europe.
Etymology
The inspiration came from Kingdom ...
s – coins that circulated in the late 14th and early 15th centuries. Chemical analysis of three such ingots revealed that they were of very high quality (silver content between 97.4% and 98.9% with traces of gold and copper). The Money Museum analyzed the two halves in its possession and found 91.5% and 97.7% silver content. A 2010 analysis of a half ingot kept in a local museum in
Kernavė
Kernavė was a medieval capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and today is a tourist attraction and an archeological site (population 238, 2021). It is located in the Širvintos district municipality located in southeast Lithuania. A Lithuanian ...
revealed silver content of 97.05–97.11%. Researchers proposed that three-edged ingots appeared as a result of a monetary reform in response to the declining quality of semicircular ingots. Also, it is likely that the weight was adjusted to match Prague groschens: 50 groschens weighed about .
The three-edged ingots share many similarities with Novgorod three-edged grivnas, but archaeologist Duksa identified three main differences:
# Weight: Lithuanian triangular ingots are lighter () than Novgorod counterparts (approx. )
# Shape: Lithuanian ingots are thicker ( in height) than Novgorod counterparts ()
# Markings: Lithuanian ingots lack cuts, stamps, writing, or other markings
References
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{{Portal bar, Money, Numismatics
Silver coins
Medieval currencies
Currencies of Lithuania
Medieval history of Lithuania