A Voyage in History Through a Maria Theresa Thaler Coin

I recently attended a meeting in which someone mentioned Austria’s 1780 Maria Theresa thaler coin. The silver-dollar size piece was extremely popular and circulated all over the world. The thaler unit was also the origin of our word dollar. With so many interesting facts about the coin, I could not resist. I … Read more

The “Strong Money” of Good King Saint Louis

The “Strong Money” of Good King Saint Louis 1

Speaking with a friend recently, we chanced to talk about money and coins. He is a coin collector and had just visited a coin shop nearby. I mentioned my own studies of medieval economy and its coinage. Much to my surprise and delight, he reached into his inner coat pocket and pulled … Read more