Prager (Prague) Groschen ( 1278 -1305)

Nice example of an interesting coin!

I think the first English groat was from Edward I at around 1279 - the term was, I always believed, taken from "gros tournois" - but it may have been influenced by other terms too. I remember reading somewhere that Henry III, may have considered their striking - but I may be wrong in this.

I believe, at the time this coin was produced, in europe there were economic drivers( predominantly increasing international trade) encouraging the minting of larger coin. this Prager groschen was one of the earlier examples... but also as Bachus2 has pointed out the Gros Tournois was a very influential coin and is likely the direct ancestor of the British groat.

I refer often to Freys Dictionary of Numismatic names but in the case of the Prager Groschen this old book is not very helpful. The entry under Prager groschen notes this coin as having an influence on surrounding nations and giving rise to the name groschen however under "Gros Tournois" Frey seems to state that coin was the one responsible for the development of this family of coins.

Digging else where I find references actually pointing to the Tyrolean Groschen of a few years earlier. I suspect all these slightly different accounts reflect the nationalities of the authors. As a whole I think these different accounts attest to the demands for a more substantive coinage than the Foil like "pennys" that went before.

The concurrent evolution of the type may also be strongly related to common Latin language roots.