Trade coin

The conversion rates were even then usually significantly below the intrinsic value of the coins, to cover costs of melting and recoinage etc.

Their role has now been taken over by (paper or electronic) United States dollars as, in some ways, a world currency.

It was so highly regarded in Africa that its purchasing power for goods and raw materials was higher there than in Austria.

The Friedrich d'or thus became a trade coin, while it was also current in Prussia itself (although with a decreasing exchange rate against the silver Reichstaler, see bimetallism).

The Hungarian and Dutch gold ducats, minted for centuries with a stable fineness, were esteemed trade coins.