Albus

The Albus, also known as the Weißgroschen (from the Latin grossus albus – ‘white groschen’), is an important silver coin that originated in the late Middle Ages and played an important role in West German coinage until the 18th century. The name Albus derives from the bright, shiny silver colour of the early coinage, which stood out clearly from the darker mixed alloys that were common at the time. The Albus was originally introduced in the Rhineland towards the end of the 14th century, particularly in Trier, Cologne and Mainz, and quickly became a widely used coin for trade and everyday use.
In a numismatic context, the Albus occupies a central position in the coinage history of western Germany. During its long period of minting, it changed shape, weight and value several times, but always remained an important part of regional circulation. In the 17th and 18th centuries in particular, the Albus continued to be used as a small coin, but now mostly as a 2-kreuzer piece or half-batzen, which made it a typical accounting and utility coin in south-western Germany. At that time, the Albus was no longer the high-silver coin of its early days, but its popularity and acceptance in trade remained unbroken.
The design of the Albus coins varied from region to region, but often featured religious or royal symbols. Particularly widespread was the so-called ‘Reichsapfel-Albus’ design, which featured an imperial orb as the central motif on the reverse. In addition, there are coats of arms, church patrons or stylised city views, which also make the Albus a valuable cultural and historical reflection of its time. The wide variety of issues and the different coinage standards in cities and ecclesiastical territories make the Albus an exciting and multifaceted area of numismatic collecting today.
For coin collectors, the Albus is interesting not only because of its long history of minting, but also because of its significance as a testimony to economic and political developments in western Germany. It exemplifies the transition from medieval to modern coinage systems and shows how coins had to adapt to changing economic conditions. Thanks to its widespread use over several centuries and across regions, the Albus remains a fascinating example of the function of coins as a link between everyday life, trade and rule in the Old Empire.