Guilder
Encyclopedia
Guilder is the English
translation of the Dutch
gulden — from Old Dutch for 'golden'. The guilder originated as a gold coin
(hence the name) but has been a common name for a silver or base metal coin for some centuries. The name has often been interchangeable with florin
.
The guilder was used most in the Netherlands
(as the Dutch guilder), until it was replaced by the euro
on 1 January 2002. The Netherlands Antillean guilder is currently the only guilder which is in use, which after the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles remained the currency of the new countries Curaçao
and Sint Maarten and (until 1 January 2011) the Caribbean Netherlands.
One-and-a-half guilder was called a daalder (see thaler
); two-and-a-half guilder was called a rijksdaalder. The word daalder/thaler is the origin of dollar
.
Historical guilders or guldens:
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
translation of the Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
gulden — from Old Dutch for 'golden'. The guilder originated as a gold coin
Gold coin
A gold coin is a coin made mostly or entirely of gold. Gold has been used for coins practically since the invention of coinage, originally because of gold's intrinsic value...
(hence the name) but has been a common name for a silver or base metal coin for some centuries. The name has often been interchangeable with florin
Florin
Florin derives from the city of Florence in Italy and frequently refers to the gold coin struck in 1252.This money format was plagiarized in other countries and the word florin is used, for example, in relation to the Dutch guilder and the coin first issued in 1344 by Edward III of England, then...
.
The guilder was used most in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
(as the Dutch guilder), until it was replaced by the euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
on 1 January 2002. The Netherlands Antillean guilder is currently the only guilder which is in use, which after the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles remained the currency of the new countries Curaçao
Curaçao
Curaçao is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the Venezuelan coast. The Country of Curaçao , which includes the main island plus the small, uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao , is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
and Sint Maarten and (until 1 January 2011) the Caribbean Netherlands.
One-and-a-half guilder was called a daalder (see 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 tolar. Etymologically, "Thaler" is an abbreviation of "Joachimsthaler", a coin type from the city of Joachimsthal in Bohemia, where some of the first such...
); two-and-a-half guilder was called a rijksdaalder. The word daalder/thaler is the origin of dollar
Dollar
The dollar is the name of the official currency of many countries, including Australia, Belize, Canada, Ecuador, El Salvador, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, and the United States.-Etymology:...
.
- Current guilder:
- Netherlands Antillean guilder (CuraçaoCuraçaoCuraçao is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the Venezuelan coast. The Country of Curaçao , which includes the main island plus the small, uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao , is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
and Sint Maarten).
- Netherlands Antillean guilder (Curaçao
- Former currencies in the Kingdom of the NetherlandsKingdom of the NetherlandsThe Kingdom of the Netherlands is a sovereign state and constitutional monarchy with territory in Western Europe and in the Caribbean. The four parts of the Kingdom—Aruba, Curaçao, the Netherlands, and Sint Maarten—are referred to as "countries", and participate on a basis of equality...
:- Dutch guilder
- Surinamese guilder
- Netherlands Indies gulden
- Netherlands New Guinean gulden
- Proposed currency in the Kingdom of the NetherlandsKingdom of the NetherlandsThe Kingdom of the Netherlands is a sovereign state and constitutional monarchy with territory in Western Europe and in the Caribbean. The four parts of the Kingdom—Aruba, Curaçao, the Netherlands, and Sint Maarten—are referred to as "countries", and participate on a basis of equality...
- Caribbean guilderCaribbean guilderThe Caribbean guilder is the proposed currency of the Caribbean islands of Curaçao and Sint Maarten which formed after the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles in October 2010. The Netherlands Antillean guilder is expected continue to circulate until 2013 as the currency was not finalised in...
(Curaçao and Sint Maarten)
- Caribbean guilder
- Proposed (theoretical) currency in AustriaAustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, FinlandFinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, the NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, and SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
- North European guilder (in some parts of Europe)
Historical guilders or guldens:
- Austro-Hungarian guldenAustro-Hungarian guldenThe Gulden or forint was the currency of the Austrian Empire and later the Austro-Hungarian Empire between 1754 and 1892 when it was replaced by the Krone/korona as part of the introduction of the gold standard. In Austria, the Gulden was initially divided into 60 Kreuzer, and in Hungary, the...
- British Guianan guilderBritish Guianan guilderThe guilder was the currency of British Guiana between 1796 and 1839.-History:The guilder replaced the Dutch guilder at par after the colonies were captured by the British from the Dutch. The guilder was initially subdivided into 20 stuiver, in English stiver...
- Danzig guldenDanzig guldenThe Gulden was the currency of Free City of Danzig between 1923 and 1939. It was divided into 100 Pfennige.Until 1923, Danzig issued paper money denominated in Marks...
- South German guldenSouth German guldenThe Gulden was the currency of the states of southern Germany between 1754 and 1873. These states included Bavaria, Baden, Württemberg, Frankfurt and Hohenzollern....
- Rhenish gulden (florenus Rheni) issued by Trier, Cologne and Mainz (:de:Rheinischer Münzverein)
Literature
- Guilder and Florin are two fictional nationsFictional countryA fictional country is a country that is made up for fictional stories, and does not exist in real life, or one that people believe in without proof....
in the bookBookA book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
and movie The Princess BrideThe Princess BrideThe Princess Bride is a 1973 fantasy novel written by William Goldman. It was originally published in the United States by Harcourt Brace, while in the UK it is/was published by Bloomsbury Publishing....
.
See also
Other coin names that are derived from the gold of which they were once made:- ÖreÖreÖre is the discontinued centesimal subdivision of the Swedish krona. The plural and singular are the same in the indefinite forms, whereas the singular definite form is öret and the plural definite is örena. The name derives from the Latin aureus , the name of a coin worth 25 denarii...
, øreØreØre is the centesimal subdivision of the Norwegian and Danish krones. The Faroese division is called the oyra, but is equal in value to the Danish coin. Before their discontinuation, the corresponding divisions of the Swedish krona and the Icelandic króna were the öre and the eyrir... - Złoty
- Hungarian forintHungarian forintThe forint is the currency of Hungary. It is divided into 100 fillér, although fillér coins are no longer in circulation. The introduction of the forint on 1 August 1946 was a crucial step of the post-WWII stabilization of the Hungarian economy, and the currency remained relatively stable until...