Heller (coin)

The Heller, abbreviation hlr, was a coin, originally valued at half a pfennig, that was issued in Switzerland and states of the Holy Roman Empire, surviving in some European countries until the 20th century.

It was first recorded in 1200 or 1208 or, according to Reiner Hausherr as early as 1189. The hellers were gradually so debased that they were no long silver coins. There were 576 hellers in a Reichsthaler ("imperial thaler"). After the Second World War, hellers only survived in Czechoslovakia and Hungary.

The heller also existed as a silver unit of weight equal to 1⁄512 of a Mark.

Notgeld (emergency paper money) was issued in Germany, Austria and Liechtenstein during the interwar period denominated in hellers.