ABSTRACT

Sources: PRO London, XP 1211 C 104/128 Pt 2: Price currents [Danzig] (1696-1698); Wojewodzkie Archiwum Państowe w Gdańsku – Biblioteka Gdańska Polskíej Akademii Nauk, Anzeigen und Erläuterungen der Specie & Wechsel-Course [Danzig] (1707-1774); Danziger Nachrichten, Danziger Erfahrungen, Wöchentliche Danziger Anzeigen und Dienliche Nachrichten (1739-1812). Concordance: HStD XII, pp. 257-280

Currency: The basis of the currency in Poland was the guilder (zlot) Polish current of 30 groszy at 18 pfennig. In the course of the 18th century the guilder, which was equal to 1/3 thaler, lost in value from about 6.75 (in c. 1705) to about 4.18 grammes of pure silver (from 1766 up to c. 1810). In 1812 the guilder contained only 3.78 grammes of pure silver (FURTAK [1935], pp. 76-78). Between 1766 and 1786 the guilder was minted at a standard of 80 guilders per mark of Cologne. This standard was oriented towards the standard of 20 guilders per mark of Cologne (the so-called Konventionsfuß), which was common usage in the Electorate of Saxony (at this time Poland and Saxony were united). So 4 guilders Polish current were equal to 1 guilder Konventionskurant. Thereafter, Poland had a standard of coinage of 13 11/12 thaler per mark of Cologne up to 1794 and of 14 1/12 thaler per mark of Cologne from 1794 (VON SCHRÖTTER [1913], p. 231). Since Danzig had lost its territorial connection to the Kingdom of Poland because of the First Polish Division in 1772, another name for the guilder Polish current in Danzig also gained acceptance in contemporary merchant manuals, namely the guilder Danzig current. Even after the occupation by Prussia in 1793, the previous currency system was maintained in Danzig until 1814, 4 guilders Danzig current being equal to 1 thaler Prussian current (see pp. 196f.).