Münzmeister
Encyclopedia
In medieval and early modern Germany, the Münzmeister ("mint master", the Latin term is monetarius) was the director or administrator of a mint
Mint (coin)
A mint is an industrial facility which manufactures coins for currency.The history of mints correlates closely with the history of coins. One difference is that the history of the mint is usually closely tied to the political situation of an era...

, a moneyer
Moneyer
A moneyer is someone who physically creates money. Moneyers have a long tradition, dating back at least to ancient Greece. They became most prominent in the Roman Republic, continuing into the empire.-Roman Republican moneyers:...

 with responsibility for the minting of coins, or specie
Coin
A coin is a piece of hard material that is standardized in weight, is produced in large quantities in order to facilitate trade, and primarily can be used as a legal tender token for commerce in the designated country, region, or territory....

. His duties were defined differently at different locations and ages.

Middle ages

The need for currency was relatively low during Merovingian times. The Münzmeister produced coins in small workshops, working alone or with the aid of a few assistants, and handled the precious metals required. During Carolingian
Carolingian
The Carolingian dynasty was a Frankish noble family with origins in the Arnulfing and Pippinid clans of the 7th century AD. The name "Carolingian", Medieval Latin karolingi, an altered form of an unattested Old High German *karling, kerling The Carolingian dynasty (known variously as the...

 times, minting of specie became the task of royally appointed officials.

During the High Middle Ages they were replaced by the Münzerhausgenossenschaft, or minting house cooperative. Its members came from the ranks of rich burgher
Bourgeoisie
In sociology and political science, bourgeoisie describes a range of groups across history. In the Western world, between the late 18th century and the present day, the bourgeoisie is a social class "characterized by their ownership of capital and their related culture." A member of the...

s: usually merchants, precious-metal traders, moneychangers, goldsmiths, who in turn appointed one out of their ranks as Münzmeister. For their labor, the members of the cooperative were due a share of the minting profits. They also enjoyed certain rights and privileges, including a monopoly on the purchase of gold and silver, exemption from customs duties and taxes, and independent jurisdiction in minting matters. The house cooperatives saw their heyday in the 13th and 14th centuries.

In the late Middle Ages, the minting house cooperatives vanished when minting was taken over by sovereigns or cities. The Münzmeister was now an entrepreneur who determined weight, precious-metal content, seignorage and their own share, by way of free negotiations with the principals. Next to mines and shipyards, mints had become the largest enterprises of the age.

Modern era

In modernity
Modernity
Modernity typically refers to a post-traditional, post-medieval historical period, one marked by the move from feudalism toward capitalism, industrialization, secularization, rationalization, the nation-state and its constituent institutions and forms of surveillance...

, local entrepreneurs and their mints gained in importance. The era saw the rise of Münzmeister dynasties, with leases that were extended over several generations. Frequently the coins bear symbols engraved by the Münzmeister, often as tiny rosettae, tools, monographs or initials. In the 17th and 18th century the number of Jewish leaseholders in minting increased, not least because access of Jews to other occupations became more restricted on religious grounds.

During the Habsburg era in Austria and Germany, the government soon began to establish a minting system. Austria created the office of a supreme heritable Münzmeister that provided for a sinecure without a share in profits. In Bohemia, too, the supreme office of Münzmeister was held by dukes and noblemen who at the same time supervised all the kingdom's mining facilities.

Besides the Münzmeister, there were other minting officials, such as the master smith, the dye-cutter, and the minter. The Münzwardein
Münzwardein
In medieval and Renaissance Germany, the Münzwardein was the title of an official whose duties included supervising the Münzmeister and the stock of precious metals used in minting...

 (in Latin, wardinus) was tasked with making sure that minting was done properly from the right alloy. He also had to take samples that were presented to the Probationstag (= sampling commission) in line with official regulations. The sampling commission was constituted from the royal court or local gentry or their repreesentatives.

See also

  • Master of the Mint
    Master of the Mint
    Master of the Mint was an important office in the governments of Scotland and England, and later Great Britain, between the 16th and 19th centuries. The Master was the highest officer in the Royal Mint. Until 1699, appointment was usually for life. Its holder occasionally sat in the cabinet...

  • Warden of the Mint
    Warden of the Mint
    The Warden of the Mint was in principle the highest ranking officer of the Royal Mint of Great Britain, having oversight over its operations and physical plant by virtue of a royal warrant. The office received a yearly emolument of £500. Technically subordinate to the Warden was the Master of the...

  • Münzwardein
    Münzwardein
    In medieval and Renaissance Germany, the Münzwardein was the title of an official whose duties included supervising the Münzmeister and the stock of precious metals used in minting...

  • Moneyer
    Moneyer
    A moneyer is someone who physically creates money. Moneyers have a long tradition, dating back at least to ancient Greece. They became most prominent in the Roman Republic, continuing into the empire.-Roman Republican moneyers:...

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