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Estonian Coins |
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Early History
The Baltic peoples who inhabited what is now Estonia were known to the Romans, and trade links were established between the Roman Empire and the Baltic people. Probably the most important trade export was Amber, which was highly prized by the Romans. The ancient Baltic term for amber, (Latinised as 'glesum'), is the etymological origin of the word 'glass'.
The name 'Estonia' is itself derived from the Germanic and Scandinavian term for 'Eastern Land'.
Medieval Estonia
Estonia resisted the adoption of Christianity for longer than anywhere elsewhere in Europe. Viking raiders based in Estonia raided Scandinavia as late as the 12th Century. Estonia was subject to a crusade ordered by the Pope, which was fought mainly by German and Scandinavian warriors, led by the German Teutonic Order. Between 1219 and 1346, the Estonia was a Duchy of the Kingdom of Denmark.
The last major resistance to Christianisation took place in 1343, when Estonian pagans rose up against The German Teutonic order who ruled over them. The revolt, known as the St George's Night Uprising, was marked by massacre and slaughter of all non-Estonians that fell into rebel hands. However, the revolt was eventually crushed by 1345. The Duchy was sold directly to the Teutonic order the following year.
One consequence of the Livonian Crusade was that, much like the Normans in England, Estonia was for a long time governed by a foreign ruling class speaking a foreign language, in Estonia's case, low German. The presence of the German ruling class arguably helped spread Lutheran ideas in Estonia, whilst neighbouring Poland, governed natively, remained Catholic.
Livonian War
In 1561, Estonia voluntarily came under the control of the Swedish Empire as the result of the Livonian War, in order to protect itself from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. In 1570, the Tsar of the Muscovites declared the creation of the Livonian Kingdom, of which Estonia was a part. However, this only lasted until 1578. In 1583, Russia was defeated by Sweden and its allies, and Sweden once again established its rule over Estonia.
Russian Rule
In 1710, Estonia was conquered by Russia during the Great Northern War, and was formally ceded to Russia by the treaty ending the war in 1723. Estonia had enjoyed a considerable amount of autonomy under Swedish rule, but under tsarist Russian rule, power was centralised in St Petersburg. During this period, until the Russian Revolution of 1917, Estonia was known as a governate within the Russian Empire.
The First Estonian Republic
Following the Russian Revolution, the Bolshevik Regime in Russia promised peace with Germany. However, their procrastination led to Imperial Germany invading and occupying Estonia in February 1918 to pressurise the Bolsheviks to come to an agreement. During German occupation, Estonian Nationalists issued a declaration of independence and declared themselves as the Estonian Provisional Government. The German occupiers refused to recognise this government, although most western powers did. The Germans rounded up members of the provisional 'government' whilst the newly-formed Estonian Army went underground.
In November 1918, following the armistice, German troops withdrew from Estonia, and Bolshevik forces invaded and tried to establish their authority. The Estonians, with Western assistance, managed to repel the Bolsheviks, who recognised Estonian sovereignty in 1920.
Soviet Occupation
In September 1939, an incident involving the escape of a Polish Submarine led to Soviet demands to accept Soviet Military bases on Estonian territory, threatening war unless this was accepted by the Estonian government. In June 1940, the Soviets sponsored a Communist coup against the Estonian Government, and the new 'Parliament', consisting of pro-Communist legislators, voted to ask the Soviet Government to annex it as a Soviet Socialist Republic. Legislators who failed to vote for this annexation could expect to be shot.
World War II
In 1941, Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union, including Estonia. The Germans were initially greeted as liberators, but the Nazi's racist contempt for eastern 'slavs' and refusal to grant even a puppet government in Estonia saw support for the Nazi 'liberators' dwindle. The Germans established death camps in Estonia in which Jews from Estonia and other areas under German occupation were brutally exterminated. As the Soviets advanced, Estonia suffered from the devastating effects of the desperate battles that were fought between the Germans and the Soviets in 1944. Jüri Uluots, independent Estonia's last Prime Minister, attempted to form a provisional government and hold off the Soviets for long enough to see the German surrender, but to no avail. The Estonian provisional government was forced into exile in Sweden as the Soviets advanced.
Soviet Re-Occupation
Estonia suffered the brutalities of Stalinist rule along with everywhere else in the Soviet Union. However, under Krushev, Estonia suffered the rare privilege of having access to the west via a ferry link with Finland and access to Finnish television. This allowed the Estonian citizenry to be more informed about the outside world than their fellow Soviet Citizens.
Independence
In 1989, the Berlin Wall collapsed, and Estonia was in the vanguard of those Soviet Republics seeking independence from the Soviet Union, having already established a declaration of sovereignty the previous year. The Soviet Union itself collapsed in 1991, and Estonia initiated negotiations for the withdrawal of Russian troops, the last of which vacated Estonia in 1994. Today, Estonia is a democracy, and enjoys one of the highest per capita incomes of any former socialist republic. It is now a member of NATO and has been a member of the EU since 2004.
Coinage of Estonia
The history of coinage in Estonia dates back to at least Roman times, when they were used to trade with Baltic merchants. Over the years, coins of many different local and occupying nations were used, including English, Scandinavian, Russian, Polish and German issues, amongst others.
Estonia adopted the Euro in 2011. Before then, the Estonian currency since 1992 was the Estonian Kroon, subdivides into 100 senti, for which coins of 5, 10, 20, 50 senti and 1 kroon were issued, along with an occasional commemorative 5 krooni issue. The Kroon had also been the currency of Estonia from 1924-1940, before it was replaced by the Soviet Rouble.
During German occupation, the Estonian Mark, subdivided into 100 Penni (plural penn) had been introduced, which was equivalent to the German Papier Mark, which circulated in Estonia alongside the Russian Rouble.
For Sale and Wanted
If you are interested in coins from Estonia please see our product index:-
Estonian Coins
Gold Coins
We also have gold coins from Estonia on our taxfreegold website:-
Estonian Gold Coins
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