Heller (money)
Encyclopedia
The Heller or Häller was originally a German coin valued at half a pfennig
and named after the city of Hall am Kocher (today Schwäbisch Hall
). The coin was produced from the beginning of the 13th century based on a previously produced silver pfennig (Häller Pfennig, sometimes called Händelheller for its depiction of a hand on the front face), but was deteriorated by mixing in copper
little by little so that it was no longer considered to be a silver coin. There were red, white and black Hellers. Beginning in the Middle Ages it became a symbol of low worth, and a common German byword is "keinen (roten) Heller wert", lit.: not worth a (red) Heller, i.e. "not worth a tinker's curse".
The term Heller came into wide use as a name for coins of small value throughout many of the German states up to 1873 when, after German unification, Mark
and pfennig were introduced as nationwide coinage.
The German Heller saw a resurrection in 1904 when the government took over responsibility for the currency of German East Africa
from the German East Africa Company
. The Heller was introduced as 1/100 of a rupie
instead of the pesa which had so far been a 1/64 of a rupie.
In Austria-Hungary
, Heller was also the term used in the Austrian half of the empire for 1/100 of the Austro-Hungarian krone
(the other being fillér
in the Hungarian half), the currency from 1892 until after the demise (1918) of the Empire.
The term heller was also used for a coin valued at 1/100 of a koruna (crown) in the Czech Republic
(Czech koruna
) and Slovakia
(Slovak koruna
), as well as in former Czechoslovakia
(Czechoslovak koruna
).
Only the currency of the Czech Republic continues to use Hellers (halíře), although they survive only as a means of calculation — the Czech National Bank
removed the coins themselves from circulation in 2008 and notionally replaced them with rounding to the next koruna.
Pfennig
The Pfennig , plural Pfennige, is an old German coin or note, which existed from the 9th century until the introduction of the euro in 2002....
and named after the city of Hall am Kocher (today Schwäbisch Hall
Schwäbisch Hall
Schwäbisch Hall is a town in the German state of Baden-Württemberg and capital of the district of Schwäbisch Hall. The town is located in the valley of the river Kocher in the north-eastern part of Baden-Württemberg....
). The coin was produced from the beginning of the 13th century based on a previously produced silver pfennig (Häller Pfennig, sometimes called Händelheller for its depiction of a hand on the front face), but was deteriorated by mixing in copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
little by little so that it was no longer considered to be a silver coin. There were red, white and black Hellers. Beginning in the Middle Ages it became a symbol of low worth, and a common German byword is "keinen (roten) Heller wert", lit.: not worth a (red) Heller, i.e. "not worth a tinker's curse".
The term Heller came into wide use as a name for coins of small value throughout many of the German states up to 1873 when, after German unification, Mark
German gold mark
The Goldmark was the currency used in the German Empire from 1873 to 1914.-History:Before unification, the different German states issued a variety of different currencies, though most were linked to the Vereinsthaler, a silver coin containing 16⅔ grams of pure silver...
and pfennig were introduced as nationwide coinage.
The German Heller saw a resurrection in 1904 when the government took over responsibility for the currency of German East Africa
German East Africa
German East Africa was a German colony in East Africa, which included what are now :Burundi, :Rwanda and Tanganyika . Its area was , nearly three times the size of Germany today....
from the German East Africa Company
German East Africa Company
The German East Africa Company was an organization established at the start of the German colonization of East Africa. This company, in short, was responsible for the activities in the new colony such as setting up leadership, future explorations, and the development of the region.In 1888, the...
. The Heller was introduced as 1/100 of a rupie
German East African rupie
The Rupie was the currency of German East Africa between 1890 and 1916, continuing to circulate in the Tanganyika Territory until 1920.-History:...
instead of the pesa which had so far been a 1/64 of a rupie.
In Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
, Heller was also the term used in the Austrian half of the empire for 1/100 of the Austro-Hungarian krone
Austro-Hungarian krone
The Krone or korona was the official currency of the Austro-Hungarian Empire from 1892 until the dissolution of the empire in 1918...
(the other being fillér
Fillér
The fillér was the name of various small change coins throughout Hungarian history. It was the subdivision of the Austro-Hungarian and the Hungarian korona, the pengő and the forint. The name derives from the German word Vierer that means 'number four' in English. Originally it was the name of the...
in the Hungarian half), the currency from 1892 until after the demise (1918) of the Empire.
The term heller was also used for a coin valued at 1/100 of a koruna (crown) in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
(Czech koruna
Czech koruna
The Czech koruna or Czech crown has been the currency of the Czech Republic since 8 February 1993 when, together with its Slovak counterpart, it replaced the Czechoslovak koruna at par....
) and Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
(Slovak koruna
Slovak koruna
In 1993, coins were introduced in denominations of 10, 20 and 50 haliers, 1, 2, 5 and 10 korunas. The 10 and 20 halier coins were taken out of circulation on 31 December 2003....
), as well as in former Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
(Czechoslovak koruna
Czechoslovak koruna
The Czechoslovak koruna was the currency of Czechoslovakia from April 10, 1919 to March 14, 1939 and from November 1, 1945 to February 7, 1993...
).
Only the currency of the Czech Republic continues to use Hellers (halíře), although they survive only as a means of calculation — the Czech National Bank
Czech National Bank
The Czech National Bank is the central bank and financial market supervisor in the Czech Republic with its headquarters in Prague. The Bank's governor is Miroslav Singer. In accordance with its primary objective, the ČNB sets monetary policy, issues banknotes and coins and manages the circulation...
removed the coins themselves from circulation in 2008 and notionally replaced them with rounding to the next koruna.
See also
- Coins of the Czech korunaCoins of the Czech korunaCzech koruna coins are part of the physical form of the current Czech currency, the Czech koruna.-Notes:...
- Coins of the Slovak koruna
- Czechoslovak korunaCzechoslovak korunaThe Czechoslovak koruna was the currency of Czechoslovakia from April 10, 1919 to March 14, 1939 and from November 1, 1945 to February 7, 1993...
- 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...
(Subdivision of Scandinavian crownsKrone-General:* Crown * ADC KRONE, formerly The KRONE Group, a German telecommunications company acquired by ADC Telecommunications* KRONE LSA-PLUS, a popular telecommunications connector* Krone an der Brahe, the German name for Koronowo, Poland...
)