Time Period: 1750-1858

Currency: 1st Austrian Guilder


Timeline

  • 07.11.1750
  • Coinage ordinance ["Kaiserlich-königliche Hauptmünzamtsinstruktion"] on the introduction of the Guilder as new base coin for Austria and the Habsburg Crown Lands; effective immediately
  • 21.09.1753
  • Bavarian-Austrian Coinage Convention, aligned the coinages of the two countries; effective 07.10.1753
    - The silver coinage in the 1750/1753 standard is referred to as "Convention" standard.
  • around 1765
  • Start of paper money issuance by the Vienna City Bank (so-called "Vienna currency").
    - The Vienna City Bank ("Wiener Stadt-Banco") had obtained the imperial charter on 24.12.1705 and opened for business on 01.04.1706.
  • 20.02.1811
  • 1st devaluation of paper money: the notes ("Bankozettel") of the Vienna City Bank were reduced to 20% of face value and exchanged for government paper money ("Einlösungsscheine"): 100 Guilders ("Bankozettel") = 20 Guilders ("Einlösungsscheine").
  • around 1813
  • Start of additional government paper money issuance ("Antizipationsscheine") for the financing of the Napoleonic wars
  • 01.06.1816
  • Imperial charter for the Austrian National Note Bank ("Österreichische National-Zettelbank") to take over business from the default Vienna City Bank; effective upon (provisional) constitution on 01.07.1816.
    - 15.07.1817: Extension of the charter to allow unlimited paper money issuance; effective immediately
    - 19.01.1818: Reconstitution and name change into Chartered Austrian National Bank ("Privilegierte Österreichische Nationalbank").
  • 01.07.1816
  • 2nd devaluation of paper money: the government paper money was withdrawn and partly redeemed and partly converted into state bonds at a rate of 140 Guilders (paper money) = 40 Guilders (silver coins) + 100 Guilders (state bonds).
  • 29.04.1852
  • Ordinance on the change of fineness of the thaler coins from 0.833 to 0.900; effective immediately

Valuation Regimes

  • 1750-1858
  • Metallic currency based on circulating silver coins, additional gold coins without fixed rate against silver. Base weight was the Cologne mark / 16 lots / 18 grains at 233.856 grams (since 01.07.1771 also Vienna mark at 280.668 grams).

Rate Arrangements

  • 07.11.1750
  • Metallic
  • Guilder: 11'692.78mg AG fine; Gold bullion "Ducat": 3'441.90mg AU fine
  • 20 Convention Guilders (10 Convention Thalers) to the Cologne mark of fine silver; 67 Ducats to the Cologne mark of 23⅔-carats gold


Time Period: 1858-1892

Currency: 2nd Austrian (Austro-Hungarian) Guilder


Timeline

  • 24.01.1857
  • Treaty [Vienna Coinage Convention, "Wiener Münzverein"], linked the Northern German, Southern German and Austrian monetary areas; effective 01.05.1857
  • 19.09.1857
  • Imperial decree [No. 169, "Kaiserliches Patent"] on the issuance of coins in the standard of the Vienna Convention; effective 01.11.1857
  • 27.04.1858
  • Imperial decree [No. 63, "Kaiserliches Patent"] on the currency transition; effective 01.05.1858.
  • 01.05.1858
  • Start of currency exchange:
    - 01.05.1858: Start of issuance of the new coinage
    - 31.10.1858: Demonetization of the former currency.
  • 13.06.1867
  • Dissolution of the Vienna Coinage Convention; effective 01.01.1868
  • 09.03.1870
  • Law [No. 22] on the issuance of gold coins in the standard of the Latin Monetary Union (LMU); effective immediately.
    - The planned accession to the LMU was never realized, but the gold coins circulated as bullion until the 20th century.
  • 27.06.1878
  • Law [No. 66] on the creation of the Austro-Hungarian Bank (out of the Chartered Austrian National Bank); effective upon constitution of the bank on 30.09.1878

Valuation Regimes

  • 1858-1892
  • Metallic currency based on circulating silver coins, additional gold coins without fixed rate against silver. Base weight was the metric pound ("Zollpfund") at 500 grams.

Rate Arrangements

  • 01.05.1858
  • Metallic
  • Guilder: 11'111.11mg AG fine; Gold bullion "Crown": 10'000.00mg AU fine
  • 45 Guilders to the metric pound of fine silver; 50 Crowns ("Vereinskronen") to the metric pound of fine gold
  • 09.03.1870
  • Metallic
  • Guilder: 11'111.11mg AG fine; Gold bullion "Gold Guilder": 725.81mg AU fine
  • 45 Guilders to the metric pound of fine silver; 620 Gold Guilders to the metric pound of 0.900 gold 0.900 (Gold Guilder = 2½ French Gold Francs)


Time Period: 1892-1918

Currency: Austro-Hungarian Crown


Timeline

  • 02.08.1892
  • Law [No. 126] on the adoption of the gold standard; effective 11.08.1892
  • 11.08.1892
  • Start of currency exchange:
    - 11.08.1892: Start of issuance of the new banknotes and coins
    - 21.09.1899: Decree to demonetize the former coinage (the silver Guilders remained tolerated as 2 Crowns until 1924); effective 31.12.1899

Valuation Regimes

  • 1892-1918
  • Metallic currency based on circulating gold coins.

Rate Arrangements

  • 01.05.1858
  • Metallic
  • Crown: 304.88mg AU fine
  • 2'952 Crowns to the kilogram of 0.900 gold