daler

The term "daler" refers to a historical silver coin that was influential in Scandinavia and parts of Europe. In Norway, the speciedaler was the basic monetary unit in the mid-19th century and also represented a silver coin of that value. Denmark also issued a silver coin called a speciedaler in the 19th century, worth two rigsdalers.1

The thaler, a precursor to the dollar, was introduced in Sweden around 1512-1520. These larger denominations, including silver thalers, began to be produced from silver mined in Germany. The coinage of Scandinavia, including Norway, Denmark, and Sweden, has a history dating back to the Viking Age, with early coins often imitating English pennies. Later, various influences, including Byzantine, shaped their coinage.2