The Prince-Bishopric of Liège was a state of the Holy Roman Empire that existed from 970 until 1794. It was a so-called ecclesiastic state, ruled by a Prince-Bishop that had both governmental and church authority. Most of its territory currently lies in Belgium. Despite its location in the Low Countries it was never part of the Burgundian, Spanish or Austrian Netherlands.
Flag of the Prince-Bishopric of Liège.
History
The Bishopric of Liege had its roots in the 8th century, with Saint Lambert, bishop of nearby Maastricht, was murdered in Liège. His successor Saint Hubert moved the bishop's seat to Liège. Two centuries later, somewhere around 980, Bishop Notger acquired the title of prince from the Holy Roman Empire over an area that was a subset of the diocese over which he ruled over the local Catholic Church.
Location of the Prince-Bishopric of Liège, cutting off Luxembourg from the rest of the Southern Netherlands.
The Prince-Bishops were all members of the church but also ruled as prince over 'earthly' affairs. Because of the celibate the prince-bishops could not pass their title to offspring (they weren't supposed to have children, but not everybody could prevent the consequences of yielding to earthly temptations). Most of the prince-bishops came from local nobility, but also the House of Bavaria there contributed several. Because of the strategic location of the prince-bishopric between Luxembourg, the Dutch Republic, France and the remainder of the Spanish Netherlands, diplomacy was vital for its survival.
The French Revolution (1789) was immediately followed in Liège, with sympathisers declaring the French client state of the Republic of Liège. It held out longer than the contemporary United States of Belgium: Prussian and Austrian troops only conquered the republic and restored the prince-bishopric in 1791. Three years later it was annexed by France and merged with other Belgian territories, with which it would form the Kingdom of Belgium in 1830.
Currency
Liège's first coinage dates from at least as early as the 14th century. The system was similar to the one used in the neighbouring Duchy of Brabant, using the Livre of 20 Sous or 240 Deniers as its main unit of account. However, frequent debasing and introduction of new coins complicated the monetary system in Liège considerably.
By the 18th century the following system had developed:
Patagon or Écu = 8 Escalins
Escalin = 10 Patards
Blâmuse or Plaquette = 5 Patards
Patard = 4 Liards or Aidants
Liard or Aidant = 24 Sous or Sols
Gigot = 12 Sols
Sol = 12 Deniers Liégois
Denier = 2 Mailles
The silver Ducaton was estimated at 10 Escalins and the gold Ducat at 17 Escalins. During the 16th century billon or copper coins named Brûlé were struck at a value of 2, 4 or 6, 12 or 16 Sols, depending on the weight and metal content. The term Brûlé actually refers to the way the coins were produced, heating them to high temperatures before minting.
I think I see some mistakes. If you agree, can you edit your post?
Patagon or Écu = 8 Escalins --> Correct. 8 x 6 Aidant = 48 Aidant/Patard
Escalin = 10 Patards --> A Escalin or Schelling is worth 6 Liege Aidant and 6 Spanish Netherlands Patards/Stuivers.
Blâmuse or Plaquette = 5 Patards
Patard = 4 Liards or Aidants --> a Aidant is the Liege name for the Patard. Because of the devaluation a Liege Aidant was worth 1 Spanish Netherlands Liard for most of its existance.
Liard or Aidant = 24 Sous or Sols
Gigot = 12 Sols
Sol = 12 Deniers Liégois
Denier = 2 Mailles
Special interest in Coins from the Low countries (Feudal-present). Former numista referee for Low Countries Feudal, Burgundian Netherlands, Spanish Netherlands, Dutch Republic, Netherlands and Netherlands East Indies.
So the Escalin was indeed 6 Spanish Netherlands Patards, but the Liege Patard had devalued so 10 were needed. The Aidant was originally worth 1 Patard but was devalued by 75% to become a Liard, with the new Patard taken from Brabant, but even that one was devalued at some point.
I hope my French is good enough to understand what is written. I will look in to it. Before I read this, I will show you my opinion below. Lets discuss it, so we can figure it out and make sure we use the right information for the catalog.
I don't understand how it would be possible to use the Brabant patard as a replacement for the Luikse Aidant that has been devaluated. All coins within the Luik/Liege unit of account have been affected by the devaluation I guess? So not only the Aidant, but also the Luikse gulden is now worth 1/4 Brabant gulden. The Patagon is now worth 12 Patards/stuivers instead of the 48.
If Luik would use the Brabant Patard worth 1/20 Brabant Gulden this would mean that it is worth 1/5 of a Luik/Liege Gulden instead of 1/20 Luik/Liege Gulden.
Am I completely wrong? or does it make some sense?
For the catalog I have currently used the below information:
1 Luikse gulden/Florin Liege = 20 Aidant= 480 Sols • 1 Aidant = 24 Sols • 1 Luikse Gulden/Florin Liege = 1/4 Brabantse Gulden/Florin Brabant • 1 Aidant Luik/Liege) = 1 Liard (Brabant) • 1/2 Aidant = 1 Gigot • 1 Brûlé = 2 to 24 Sols
I like to hear from you!
Gr. Michael
Special interest in Coins from the Low countries (Feudal-present). Former numista referee for Low Countries Feudal, Burgundian Netherlands, Spanish Netherlands, Dutch Republic, Netherlands and Netherlands East Indies.
I see i copied the wrong information in the "After devaluation". It should be the same as the before devaluation as the Luik Unit of account 1 Gulden = 20 Aidant (24 Sols) has not been changed..
Special interest in Coins from the Low countries (Feudal-present). Former numista referee for Low Countries Feudal, Burgundian Netherlands, Spanish Netherlands, Dutch Republic, Netherlands and Netherlands East Indies.
You described it more or less already. After the 75% devaluation of the Liège Patard it became known as a Liard or Aidant. The Brabant Patard retained its value and was also used in Liège under that name, so 1 Patard became 4 Aidants.
The unit of account was indeed the Florin Liègois, worth 20 Soz or Sous or Aidants. The Patagon always retained its silver content so that coin was marked upwards over time. It was worth 8 Escalins or 48 Patards to begin with (in line with Brabant), but another devaluation brought it to 10 Escalins or 80 Patards, with the Escalin Liègois devalued by 20% and the Patard Liègois by 40%.
No wonder that after all this mess the revolutionary French regime aimed for standardisation and simplification.
Allright, that seems logical. But For the sake of our catalog I think using the below valuations will keep it simple enough.. I will use the 75% devaluation for all coins, except the silver Escalin, Patagon and Ducaton.
So for the copper coins
1 Aidant (Liard) = 1/20 Florin Liege
1/2 Aidant (Gigot) = 1/40 Florin Liege
1 Sol/Sous = 1/24 Aidant = 1/480 Florin Liege
Would this make sense for the silver coins as they keep there original value?
1 Patard = 4 Aidant = 1/5 Florin Liege
1 Escalin = 6 patards = 24 Aidant = 1.20 Florin Liege
1 Patagon = 48 Patards = 192 Aidant = 9.6 Florin Liege
1 Ducaton = 60 Patards = 240 Aidant = 12 Florin Liege
If we do want to use correct values only, we need to know all devaluations and the years it happened.
Special interest in Coins from the Low countries (Feudal-present). Former numista referee for Low Countries Feudal, Burgundian Netherlands, Spanish Netherlands, Dutch Republic, Netherlands and Netherlands East Indies.
That would be great! This way we can calculate how many Aidants the silver coins are worth in its year. If there are not too many devaluations I will create different currency"s for them.
If I can help please let me know.
Special interest in Coins from the Low countries (Feudal-present). Former numista referee for Low Countries Feudal, Burgundian Netherlands, Spanish Netherlands, Dutch Republic, Netherlands and Netherlands East Indies.
It looks like that the Patagon was worth 80 Patards between 1650 and 1750. Post-1750 further devaluations happened, with the Escalin appreciating from 10 to 12 and even 13 Patards.
The situation from before 1650 seems a bit messy with lots of different coin types.
If more values are needed I will try to look it up in the table.
Special interest in Coins from the Low countries (Feudal-present). Former numista referee for Low Countries Feudal, Burgundian Netherlands, Spanish Netherlands, Dutch Republic, Netherlands and Netherlands East Indies.
Citeer: "CassTaylor"Every time I read those extremely complicated medieval or early modern currency charts I thank goodness for the Belgian Franc!
This is exactly what the revolutionary French ended with the decimalised Franc, and a gold standard to end the frequent devaluations (which enriched the ones in power) that lasted more than 100 years until the outbreak of World War I.
I fully agree to use the BL Florin/Gulden as the main unit in the catalogue. Could we split into pre-1650 and 1650-1794? We also need to split before and after the 75% devaluation that happened somewhere in the 16th century. After 1750 only copper coins were issued with only very tiny quantities of silver and gold coins, and we can leave that devaluation to the WCC article for completeness.
I can imagine that! It is hard, but if you figure it out once, it will be easier. Lucky for us Numista has the option to log the values correct:)
Special interest in Coins from the Low countries (Feudal-present). Former numista referee for Low Countries Feudal, Burgundian Netherlands, Spanish Netherlands, Dutch Republic, Netherlands and Netherlands East Indies.
Great suggestion Jokinen! I will try to make a suggestion for the catalog today and post it here before changing anything.
Special interest in Coins from the Low countries (Feudal-present). Former numista referee for Low Countries Feudal, Burgundian Netherlands, Spanish Netherlands, Dutch Republic, Netherlands and Netherlands East Indies.
Allright, this is what I got so far. I'm not sure about the Gold ducats. I have seen different values from 170 Patard to 200 Patards. I haven't found any values for 1545-1650 for the gold ducat. But at first emission it was worth about 5 Gulden/100 Patards in the Spanish Netherlands.
What do you think? Does the difference between 1456-1545 and 1545-1650 make sense? The Florin Brabant-Liege was used in the 17th and 18th century. The Florin Brabant-Liege was worth 4 Florin Liege. The silver coins kept there value as Jokinen said, but were also effected by devaluation. The copper coins Gigot, liard and sol were devaluated by 75% Between 1456 and 1545 no gigots en liards were used in Liege, only sols and brules and thats why I kept them out of the first currency info.
Special interest in Coins from the Low countries (Feudal-present). Former numista referee for Low Countries Feudal, Burgundian Netherlands, Spanish Netherlands, Dutch Republic, Netherlands and Netherlands East Indies.
I made the adjustments. I will create the new currency's en add all liege coins to the right one including the right values.
I will use this table to adress the correct values for each coin that has devaluated during a era.
Special interest in Coins from the Low countries (Feudal-present). Former numista referee for Low Countries Feudal, Burgundian Netherlands, Spanish Netherlands, Dutch Republic, Netherlands and Netherlands East Indies.
Special interest in Coins from the Low countries (Feudal-present). Former numista referee for Low Countries Feudal, Burgundian Netherlands, Spanish Netherlands, Dutch Republic, Netherlands and Netherlands East Indies.
Citeer: "CassTaylor"A big thanks for all your efforts in adding to the catalogue to the Low Countries referee!
It is no problem! Thank you!
Special interest in Coins from the Low countries (Feudal-present). Former numista referee for Low Countries Feudal, Burgundian Netherlands, Spanish Netherlands, Dutch Republic, Netherlands and Netherlands East Indies.
We created 3 era's in which the first the Liege Florin Aidant should be equal to 1 Brabant Patard before the 75% devaluation... Prince-bishopric of Liege - Florin Liege (1456-1545)
1 Florin Liege = 20 Patards/Aidant = 480 Sols • 1 Brûlé = 2 to 16 Sols • 1 Escalin = 6 Patards • 1 Patagon = 48 Patards • 1 Ducaton = 60 Patards
There is not much info to find about the rosart, but I did found below. My French is not very good, but it looks like this Rosart was worth 12 Aidant Liege and 3 Patards Brabant. So this means 1 Patard is 4 Aidant what should be the situation after the devaluation. This probably means the devaluation happened earlier then 1545 I guess? What do you think? I have found 1545 as starting date for the Florin Brabant-Liege, so we can't change the lenght of the second era.
-Should we change the era's?
-Should we change the value of the Florin Liege to 1 Florin Liege = 1/4 Florin Brabant-Liege? (This means there should be another era when 1 Florin Liege was really 1 Florin Brabant.
Special interest in Coins from the Low countries (Feudal-present). Former numista referee for Low Countries Feudal, Burgundian Netherlands, Spanish Netherlands, Dutch Republic, Netherlands and Netherlands East Indies.
Hopefully the last info so we can close the Liege section:)
http://users.skynet.be/michel.mordant/monnaies.htm
By 1465 1 Aidant Liege = 1 Patard Brabant
By 1490 1 Aidant Liege = 1/2 Patard Brabant
By 1547 1 Aidant Liege = 1/3 Patard Brabant
By 1585 1 Aidant Liege = 1/4 Patard Brabant
So my Proposal :
-1456-1465 1 Aidant = 1 Patard
-1465-1490 1 Aidant = 1/2 Patard
-1490-1545 1 Aidant = 1/3 Patard
-1545-1795 1 Aidant = 1/4 Patard
From 1545 the Florin Brabant-Liege was used and had a value of 1/4 Florin Brabant/Spanish Netherlands.
It kept this value even though the Florin Liege kept devaluating.
Rosart:
In this case the Rosart 1534 = 12 Aidant Liege = 4 Patards Brabant.
Special interest in Coins from the Low countries (Feudal-present). Former numista referee for Low Countries Feudal, Burgundian Netherlands, Spanish Netherlands, Dutch Republic, Netherlands and Netherlands East Indies.
