W. C a r e w H a z l i t t Coinage of the European Continent

206 The Coins of Europe
Gulden, a coin of the Low Countries and of Germany, apparently
originating in the Gildepenningen or money of the trading corporations or
gilds, which were formerly very numerous. The word is derived iromgeld,
money, and the form gulden and guilder (applied to the British currency
for Guiana) are alike incorrect. The value of the gulden has fluctuated.
The modern Dutch piece is = is. 8d. English, and is indifferently termed
a gulden and a florin. A pattern silver piece of Louis Napoleon, 1807, is,
however, expressly described on the face as a florin. In the iyth and
1 8th c. pieces of 7, 14, 30, and 50 g. in gold were struck for the United
Provinces. That of 50 g. with the posthumous portrait of William the
Silent, 1687, is an ordinary daalder struck in the superior metal it was
;
probably a piece de plaisir. See Goudgulden.
Guldcngroschcn, or great gulden. See Klappciniinze.
Guldenthaler, a term applied in some of the German series to a
thaler of smaller module and lighter weight = of the higher standard
a piece between the gulden worth 2od. English and the thaler worth
about 35. Both the guldenthaler and the \ were current at Niirnberg in
the 1 6th c.
Guldenthaler and the half, silver coins = 60 and 30 kreutzer respectively,
of the Swiss canton of Basle, i6th c. The rev. bears the imperial
Halbbatzen, or half batzcn, money of convention, 1628, between Mayence,
Hesse, Nassau, and Frankfort-on-Main.
Halbling, a small coin of the Swiss canton of Basle, as well as of
other Swiss and German States under that or a similar name. Comp.
Helbelin, Haller, Heller, and Scherfe.
Haller, a small copper coin of the Swiss canton of Zug. A plated or
washed piece of 3 haller scarcely equals a centime in dimensions. It
appears probable that this piece and the heller or pfenning, first introduced
at Halle in Swabia, were identical ;
both succeeded the haclbling,
helbclin, or scherfe, which had itself, under one or other of those names,
appeared at Brunswick and elsewhere, and superseded the archaic
;
bracteate.
Hardit, or hardi (?) from Fr. hardes, a gold coin of the French and
Anglo-Gallic series. Charles VII. of France struck one at La Rochelle
as Duke of Aquitaine (1451-61).
Hardit, or hardi, a billon coin of the same series. The Scotch hardhead
appears to be a corruption of hardit,
Heaume, a name for the double groot in the Bishopric of Liege,
1
5th c.
Helbelin, the \ pfenning of Strasburgh, I4th c.
Heliens, deniers current in Perigord in the time of Count Helie II.
(nth c.). Blanchet. Comp. also id. i. 288.
Heller, a billon or copper coin of small value, introduced at a very
early date into the currencies of Hesse, Treves, etc. The most ancient
are of the bracteate or semi-bracteate fabric, and in fact the heller is an
evolution from the haelbling. 8 hellers = i kreutzer, and i heller = ^
pfenning.
Henri, the name given to a gold florin struck at Bayonne by Henry
II. of France in 1553. The rev. has Dvm Totvm Compleat Orbem.
1553. There is the double.
Henriques, a gold Castilian coin of Henry or Henriques IV. of
Castile, 1454-75, with the usual rev., and on obv. the figure of the king