Other Europe
Note: These “Other Europe” countries do not have any commonalities aside from having too few coins to fit in a group or merit a dedicated page.
Circulation Coins
Certain images are clickable for more detail
Finland
The Grand Duchy of Finland was a autonomous territory under the Russian Empire from 1809 to 1917.
Finland was granted the right to mint its own currency in 1860. Like the contemporaneous rouble, the marrkaa had the same silver content as the franc (5.18 grams at 0.868 fine). The weight and fineness was never adjusted to LMU standards.
Instead, Finland adopted the gold standard in 1877 and minted gold coins according to the LMU standard. The obverse bears the Russian imperial eagle.
Minting was suspended in WWI, as elsewhere in Europe. When it was resumed the markkaa was debased. The 1926 gold 100 markkaa was only 4.2 grams, a debasement of over 80%.
20 Markkaa
1878-1913
(Image: MDC Apr 2023)
1000 Réis (near equiv. to 5 francs - 0.9167 fine)
500 Réis (equiv. to 2.5 francs - 12.5 grams)
1908-1909 (Manuel II)
500 Réis (equiv. to 2.5 francs - 12.5 grams)
1910 (Manuel II - Marquez de Pombal)
200 Réis (equiv. to 1 franc - 5 grams)
10 Markkaa
1878-1913
(Image: MDC Apr 2023)
Latvia
Latvia became an independent nation in 1918. Its silver coinage matched the LMU standard, with the exception that the 5 Lati is 0.835 fine, not 0.9 fine. When the 5 Lati was minted the LMU was defunct.
5 Lati (near equiv. to 5 francs - 0.835 fine)
1929-1932
(Image: Katz Jul 2023)
2 Lati (equiv. to 2 francs - 10 grams)
1925-1926
(Image: Katz Jul 2023)
1 Lat (equiv. to 1 franc - 5 grams)
1923-1924
(Image: Katz Apr 2023)
Monaco
The Principality of Monaco has been independent since the 14th century, though typically as a subject of another nation. In 1793 it was annexed into France until it re-established in 1814 as a protectorate of the Kingdom of Sardinia. In 1861 most of Monaco’s land was annexed into France.
Monaco has a limited minting history. The 1837 silver 5 francs was minted according to LMU standards. Gold francs were minted 1878-1904.
100 Francs
1882-1886
(Image: Gadoury Oct 2023)
100 Francs
1891-1904
(Image: Heritage Jan 2024)
20 Francs
1878-1879
(Image: Palombo Jan 2023)
5 Francs
1837
(Image: Sincona May 2013)
Poland
Poland became independent again in 1919. Its currency, the Polish mark, was pegged to the German mark. After the value of that currency was destroyed by hyperinflation, the zlotych was re-introduced in 1924.
With a combined mintage of about 75 thousand, the Polish gold 10 and 20 zloytch were effectively non-circulating coins. These coins are most comparable with other late 1920s/early 1930s attempts at re-introducing gold after WWI, such as the Albanian 20 franga of 1926-1938.
Similarly, Poland also minted non-circulating silver 5 zlotych with an unspecified mintage. There were also 1 zlotcyh and 2 zlotych coins, minted 1924-1925 to 0.75 fine rather than 0.835 according to the LMU standard. Those coins were minted in the millions but are not included here (but could be).
20 Zlotych
1925 (Bolesław Chrobry)
(Image: H.D. Rauch Sep 2020)
10 Zlotych
1925 (Bolesław Chrobry)
(Image: Sincona May 2023)
5 Zlotych (equiv. to 5 francs - 25 grams)
1925 (March Constitution)
Portugal (Mirroring Only)
Portugal was a monarchy until the Portugese Republic was established in 1911, following the October 1910 revolution.
The currency of Portugal dating from the 14th century was the Portuguese real.
[Note: Expand comments on reis - many similar coins at different fineness]
In 1911, it was replaced by the escudo, a decimalized currency (1 escudo = 100 centavos = 1,000 réis). Coinage from the Portugal Republic mirrored the LMU standard at a 1 to 5 ratio (1 escudo = 5 francs; 10 centavos = 1/5 franc). However, the 1 escudo (5 francs), was 0.835 fine rather than 0.9 fine, and thus had a lower silver content.
No circulating gold coins were minted under the escudo (the last was the 1889 10,000 réis, which would be equivalent to 50 francs, but it had a higher gold content).
1000 Réis (near equiv. to 5 francs - 0.9167 fine)
1899-1900 (Carlos I)
(Image: Taisei May 2021)
1000 Réis (near equiv. to 5 francs - 0.9167 fine)
1910 (Manuel II)
(Image: Taisei May 2021)
1 Escudo (near equiv. to 5 francs - 0.835 fine)
1914 (Commemorative, Republic of Portugal 1910)
50 Centavos (equiv. to 2.5 francs - 12.5 grams)
20 Centavos (equiv. to 1 franc - 5 grams)
100 Réis (equiv. to 1/2 franc - 2.5 grams)
1 Escudo (near equiv. to 5 francs - 0.835 fine)
500 Réis (equiv. to 2.5 francs - 12.5 grams)
1910 (Manuel II - Peninsular War)
50 Centavos (equiv. to 1/2 franc - 2.5 grams)
San Marino
Dating back to the 4th century, San Marino is arguably the oldest country in Europe.
San Marino’s gold 20 lire and 10 lire were minted after the effective end of the LMU. These were the first gold coins minted by the city-state.
20 Lire
1925
(Image: NAC Dec 2021)
10 Lire
1925
(Image: NAC Dec 2021)
5 Lire
2 Lire
1 Lira
1898-1906
(Image: NAC Dec 2021)
50 Centesimi (1/2 lira)
1898
(Image: NAC Dec 2021)
San Marino - Mirroring Coins (Debased)
When silver minting resumed they were debased. The 1930s 5 lire was the same weight as the earlier 1 lire.
5 Lire (equiv. to 1 Lire - 5 grams)
10 Lire (equiv. to 2 Lire - 10 grams)
Sweden
In 1867, Sweden participated in the Paris Monetary Conference. The 1 Carolin / 10 Franc (minted predominately in 1868-1869) was minted thereafter. Sweden’s interest in trade coinage with the LMU apparently ended with France’s 1870 defeat in the Franco-Prussian War. Sweden went on the join the Scandinavian Monetary Union in 1873.
Another source attributes the short-lived nature of the Swedish 10 francs to its being underweight relative to the French 20 francs, but that source mixes up weight and gold content. The Swedish 10 francs matches the LMU weight and gold content.
The 1 Carolin / 10 francs was trade coinage, not a effort to change domestic weights or standards. It is most comparable to the Austria-Hungary 10 francs / 4 florin.
1 Carolin / 10 Francs
1868-1872
(Image: Sincona May 2023)