The right of coinage in the
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars.
From the accession of Otto I in 962 unt ...
(in German ''Münzregal'')
[Postan, Michael Moïssey and Miller, Edward (1987). ''The Cambridge Economic History of Europe: Trade and industry in the Middle Ages'', Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, p. 707.](_blank)
/ref> was one of the so-called regalia
Regalia is a Latin plurale tantum word that has different definitions. In one rare definition, it refers to the exclusive privileges of a sovereign. The word originally referred to the elaborate formal dress and dress accessories of a sovereig ...
(also called ''royal privileges'' or ''sovereign rights''). It consisted of the right to issue regulations governing the production and use of coins. It covered the specification of currency
A currency, "in circulation", from la, currens, -entis, literally meaning "running" or "traversing" is a standardization of money in any form, in use or circulation as a medium of exchange, for example banknotes and coins.
A more general ...
, the right to mint and the right to use coins and the profit from minting. It is variously referred to in English sources as the "right of coinage",[Hübner, Rudolf (2000). ''A History of Germanic Private Law'', New Jersey.](_blank)
. "regality of coinage",
/ref>
History
In imitation of Ancient Rome, the Frankish crown was since Charlemagne
Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first ...
a strongly centralized government and this included the right of coinage. The royal administration was also responsible for the construction and operation of the mints, the standard of coinage, and the coinage.
With the sharp upturn in the economy from the 9th century, the right of coinage, often connected with customs and market rights, was delegated to ecclesiastical rulers, mainly bishops. From the 11th century, it was also granted to secular princes, and later to towns and cities.
With the Golden Bull of 1356
The Golden Bull of 1356 (, , , , ) was a decree issued by the Imperial Diet at Nuremberg and Metz ( Diet of Metz, 1356/57) headed by the Emperor Charles IV which fixed, for a period of more than four hundred years, important aspects of the con ...
the right of coinage and the often closely associated mining rights or ''Bergregal
The ''Bergregal'' () was the historic right of ownership of untapped mineral resources in parts of German-speaking Europe; ownership of the ''Bergregal'' meant entitlement to the rights and royalties from mining. Historically, it was one of th ...
'' were transferred to the prince elector
The prince-electors (german: Kurfürst pl. , cz, Kurfiřt, la, Princeps Elector), or electors for short, were the members of the electoral college that elected the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.
From the 13th century onwards, the prince ...
s. In 1648, other imperial estates
An Imperial State or Imperial Estate ( la, Status Imperii; german: Reichsstand, plural: ') was a part of the Holy Roman Empire with representation and the right to vote in the Imperial Diet ('). Rulers of these Estates were able to exercise si ...
(''Reichsstände'') were granted the right of coinage. Nevertheless, the sovereignty over coinage officially remained with the Holy Roman Emperor.
See also
* Regalia
Regalia is a Latin plurale tantum word that has different definitions. In one rare definition, it refers to the exclusive privileges of a sovereign. The word originally referred to the elaborate formal dress and dress accessories of a sovereig ...
* Carolingian system of coinage
* Minting rights
From the Middle Ages to the Early modern period (or even later), to have minting rights was to have "the power to mint coins and to control currency within one's own dominion."
History
In the Middle Ages there were at times a large number of mi ...
References
Literature
* Arnold Luschin von Ebengreuth: ''Allgemeine Münzkunde und Geldgeschichte des Mittelalters und der neueren Zeit.'' 2nd widely printed edition. Oldenbourg, Munich, ''inter alia'', 1926 (''Handbuch der mittelalterlichen und neueren Geschichte.'' Abt. 4: ''Hilfswissenschaften und Altertümer'' 5), (Unaltered reprographic copy: ib. 1969).
* Friedrich von Schrötter: ''Wörterbuch der Münzkunde.'' 2nd unaltered edition. de Gruyter, Berlin, 1970.
* Peter Volz: ''Königliche Münzhoheit und Münzprivilegium im Karolingischen Reich und die Entwicklung in der sächsischen und fränkischen Zeit.'' Teil I: ''Die karolingische Zeit.'' In: ''Jahrbuch für Numismatik und Geldgeschichte.'' 21, , pp. 157–186.
{{Authority control
Production of coins
Monetary policy
Coins of the Holy Roman Empire
Regalia