Mariengroschen

1 Mariengroschen, Principality of Calenberg, John Frederick, undated, (Welter 1812)

1 Mariengroschen, Principality of Calenberg, Ernest Augustus, 1683 (Welter 2027)

The Mariengroschen ("St. Mary's groschen") is an historical coin that was a type of groschen minted in Lower Saxony and Westphalia from the 16th to the 19th century. It was named after the Virgin Mary who was depicted on the reverse side.^[1]

Mariengroschen were first minted in Goslar in 1505 and then in other mints in the Harz mountain region, such as Brunswick and Hildesheim. The first coins were made of 8-lot silver; 80 being struck from 1 gross Cologne Mark. The fine weight decreased in the course of the 16th century;^[2] already around 1550 the fineness had been reduced to about half:^[1]

• Brunswick 1514: weight 2.75 g with 1.375 g silver content;
• Hildesheim 1528: weight 2.88 g with 1.062 silver content;
• Goslar 1551: weight 2.43 g with 0.91 g silver content;
• Brunswick 1572: weight 1.504 g with 0.69 g silver content.

The knightly estates of the Lower Saxon Circle, which were entrusted with coin supervision, followed this development. The Meissen Groschen gained influence through the debasement of the Mariengroschen.^[3]