Prague Groschen

The Prague groschen is one of the most important and influential silver coins of medieval Europe and plays a prominent role in numismatics. It was introduced in 1300 under King Wenceslaus II of Bohemia, following a comprehensive coinage reform that intensified silver mining in Kutná Hora (Kuttenberg). The silver mined there enabled the minting of a new, high-quality coin, which quickly gained importance beyond the borders of Bohemia and served as a model for numerous subsequent coinages.
The Prague groschen weighed around 3.5 to 4 grams and had a high fine silver content, which made it particularly trustworthy and sought-after in trade circles. Its introduction meant significant economic stabilisation for the Kingdom of Bohemia and, at the same time, an upgrade for the region as the financial centre of Central Europe. The obverse of the groschen typically showed the crowned bust of the Bohemian king with the inscription ‘WENCEZLAVS SECVNDVS DEI GRATIA REX BOEMIE’, while the reverse bore the Bohemian coat of arms with the double-tailed lion and the inscription ‘GROSSI PRAGENSES’ – a clear sign of its origin and value.
In a numismatic context, the Prague groschen is not only to be understood as a means of payment, but also as an instrument of political power. Due to its widespread use throughout the Holy Roman Empire and beyond, it served as a reference for many other groschen coins, for example in Saxony, Poland and Hungary. The so-called Meissen groschen or Krakow groschen were directly based on the Prague standard – evidence of Bohemia’s economic influence during this period.
It is particularly noteworthy that the minting of the Prague groschen remained largely unchanged for many decades, which contributed to the stability of the monetary system. It was only gradually replaced in the 15th century by new types of coins such as the kreuzer and later the taler. Nevertheless, its influence in numismatics and monetary history remained intact.
Today, the Prague groschen is a prized collector’s item among numismatists and historians. Its artistic design, its significance for medieval trade and its role as a model for many European coinage systems make it an outstanding example of medieval coinage. In a numismatic context, the Prague groschen is thus exemplary of the connection between economic innovation, political strategy and artistic quality in the coinage of the High Middle Ages.