Money Does Not Bring Happiness

Money does not bring happiness – true or false? Many different associations have grown up around this saying. It is said that happiness cannot be bought, but with money you can get many things that will make you happy. Others say that money itself does not bring happiness, but shopping does. It is not easy to determine whether the title statement is true or false. However, you can look at the questions to which there is certainly an answer. So, true or false?

Created by:

Renata Pernak

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True or false?

The first Polish coins were created during the reign of Mieszko I

FALSE

Royal denarius of Bolesław II the Bold

National Museum in Lublin

It may be hard to imagine, but there was a time when Poland did not have its own coins. So, how were goods bought from foreign merchants? They used coins minted in other countries or exchanged goods for goods. The latter transaction is called the barter.

Royal denarius of Bolesław II the Bold

National Museum in Lublin

The first Polish coin was minted during the reign of Duke Bolesław I the Brave, but it was not until several decades later that his great-grandson, Bolesław II the Bold, ordered it to be done with real vigour. The coins were made of silver and called denars. Each denar was minted on both sides, so the symbols could be seen on both the obverse and the reverse.

After his coronation King Bolesław the Bold decided that from now on coins would bear different characters than those in the times when he was a duke. Therefore, we divide the coins from the period of his reign into duke and royal ones.

Royal denarius of Bolesław II the Bold

National Museum in Lublin

True or false?

There are coins that have design only on one side

TRUE

Bracteate of Bolesław V the Chaste

National Museum in Lublin

Bracteate of Bolesław V the Chaste

National Museum in Lublin

Over time, one-sided bracteates appeared alongside double-sided denars. Their name comes from Latin and means a tin. Because the stamp was only on one side, the metal plate could be thinner than in the case of a denar. Thus, less silver was needed to produce the coin and it was lighter.

Bracteate of Bolesław V the Chaste

National Museum in Lublin

The first Polish ruler who decided to mint bracteates was Duke Mieszko III the Old. The coin we see here, however, was made a little bit later, during the reign of Duke Bolesław V the Chaste.

On its obverse we can see a bishop with a cross and a pastoral staff, the upper part of which is curved in a snail-like shape. The coin depicts bishop Stanislaw, who came into conflict with King Bolesław the Bold. The king ordered to kill the clergyman. The martyr’s death and the proclamation of Stanislaw as a saint contributed to the development of the dead man’s cult.

True or false?

Hebrew inscriptions can be found on old coins minted in Poland

TRUE

Polish rulers highly valued the skills of the Jews living in the country. One of these skills was running mints, i.e. places where coins were made.

For this reason, many coins from the end of the 12th and the first half of the 13th century have inscriptions in Hebrew, which was spoken by the Jews. Such coins were minted in Gniezno, Kalisz, Kraków, as well as in Głogów and Kruszwica possibly.

We are looking at a silver denar. There are Hebrew letters on both sides of it. Researchers are still working to determine what these inscriptions mean. This is very difficult, as the coin is hardly legible today. On the obverse there is an image of a duke with a sword, and on the reverse – a figure of a lion. It is believed that the coin was minted during the reign of High Duke Władysław II the Exile.

True or false?

The first coin called a penny was made in Poland

FALSE

Alexander Jagiellon’s crown half-penny

National Museum in Lublin

Alexander Jagiellon’s crown half-penny

National Museum in Lublin

The first pennies were minted in Italy, but they soon became popular throughout medieval Europe. Their production started also in France, Czechia, Hungary and Poland.

Interestingly, the penny was considered a “thick” coin, as opposed to the “small” denar. This means that, unlike in Poland today, the penny was not the lowest-value coin, quite the contrary. Depending on the historical period, one penny was worth several or over a dozen denars.

Alexander Jagiellon’s crown half-penny

National Museum in Lublin

At the end of the 14th century King Władysław II Jagiełło decided to put a half-penny into circulation, the value of which – as its name suggests – corresponded to half of one penny.

Half-pennies were also used in later centuries. Here, on the coin minted during the reign of Alexander Jagiellon, grandson of King Władysław Jagiełło, we can see an eagle. Around it stretches a Latin inscription meaning: “Alexander, king by God’s grace”.

True or false?

By the end of the Middle Ages, gold coins were being minted in Europe

TRUE

Ducat

National Museum in Szczecin

Around the same time as pennies, gold coins called florins, ducats or guilders also appeared in Europe.

Presented guilder was minted at the end of the 15th century on the initiative of the Pomeranian Duke Bogusław X the Great. This ruler went down in history as a wise and mature politician. Receiving the emperor’s permission to mint his own gold coins proved his high position.

Ducat

National Museum in Szczecin

In the days when coins were made from expensive bullion, such as silver and gold, a foul practice developed. Fraudsters would cut off the edge of a coin, making it smaller, and take the cut off piece for themselves. This was one way of spoiling the coin, i.e. lowering its value. Fortunately, the viewed guilder already has the appropriate protection. There is a thin pattern of tiny lines around the coin – if a swindler had

Ducat

National Museum in Szczecin

True or false?

There are coins that can be strung on a string like beads

TRUE

Moneta chińska

Museum of King Jan III's Palace at Wilanów

Moneta chińska

Museum of King Jan III's Palace at Wilanów

Most of the coins used both today and in the past are round in shape. However, this is not a strict rule. There are also rectangular, square or polygonal coins. These are called clips.

As it turns out, the matter is not so simple, even in the case of round coins, because there are some among them that have a hole.

Moneta chińska

Museum of King Jan III's Palace at Wilanów

We are looking at a Chinese coin minted in the 19th century. The hole in the middle was a convenience for traders. They could link the coins together with a string, e.g. 100 pieces each. It definitely made counting easier!

Interestingly, the holes do not have to be square, they can also be round. This is the case in today’s Japan, for example.

True or false?

The authors of the coins always remain anonymous

FALSE

The thaler on the occasion of the solemn funeral of Prince Bogusław XIV

National Museum in Szczecin

In 1654 a coin was minted to commemorate the death of Bogusław XIV, the last Pomeranian duke from the Griffin dynasty. The name of the family comes from the griffin, i.e. half-eagle, half-lion, placed in the coat of arms. It could not be missed on the coin as well.

At the bottom we can see a human skull, which draws attention to the main theme of the coin – death and transience. Also interesting are two letters – GT – placed below the griffin. These are the initials of Gottfried Tabbert. He created stamps which were imprinted in silver during the production of coins. Therefore, we can say that the author of the coin signed his name on it.

The thaler on the occasion of the solemn funeral of Prince Bogusław XIV

National Museum in Szczecin

The presented object is a thaler, i.e. a double-sided silver coin. It was not put into circulation, but had an occasional and commemorative character. For this reason only a few copies were made. The thaler minted on the occasion of the ceremonial funeral of Duke Bogusław XIV has a very original look and complex designs, which makes it resemble a medal.

The thaler on the occasion of the solemn funeral of Prince Bogusław XIV

National Museum in Szczecin

True or false?

People have always kept their savings in banks

FALSE

Treasure of coins

National Museum in Szczecin

Treasure of coins

National Museum in Szczecin

Every now and then we hear about an unusual treasure find. Very often it is accidental – during construction or renovation workers come across a mysterious package. This was also the case here.

Over three thousand coins were found in a clay pot buried in the ground in Choszczno, near Szczecin! These were mostly so-called double shillings. Researchers assume that the treasure was buried there about 360 years ago.

Treasure of coins

National Museum in Szczecin

Unfortunately, we do not know who its owner was. We can, however, assume that he was not a very rich person, because the collected coins represent a small denomination, or simply speaking, they did not have much value at that time. Their number, however, allows us to think that he could have been, for example, a craftsman or a trader, for whom such a sum was significant enough to make it worth hiding.

Money Does Not Bring Happiness

Dictionary of terms:

Obverse – the front (main) side of the coin.

Denomination – the official value of a coin, usually designated by a number.

Reverse – the back side of the coin.

Jews – followers of the religion known as Judaism; for centuries they settled in many places around the world, including Poland. In 1948, the state of Israel was established, where many Jews live.