What is the greatest number of denominations issued by a single country in a single year? For this question, only consider any circulating coin, and not counting different types in the same denomination.
As a benchmark, I count 14 in the USA in 1876.
Poland also had 14 in 1990, but that deserves a caveat as a currency change was involved.
England had a few in the 3rd coinage of Queen Elizabeth I of the 1560s and 1570s.
Silver denominations
1. Farthing - ¼d
2. Halfpenny - ½d
3. Threefarthings - ¾d
4. Penny - 1d
5. Threehalfpence - 1½d
6. Halfgroat - 2d
7. Threepence - 3d
8. Groat/Fourpence - 4d
9. Sixpence - 6d
10. Shilling - 12d or 1/-
(No Halfcrowns or Crowns issued in silver until 1600, or since 1553)
Gold denominations
11. Half Crown or Quarter Ryal - 2/6 (30d)
12. Crown, Half Ryal - 5/- (60d)
13. Angel - 8/4 (100 pence)
14. Ryal - 10 shillings or 120d
15. Half Fine Sovereign - 15/- (180d)
16. Gold Sovereign - 20/-
17. Fine Sovereign - 30/-
That is 17 denominations, the Angel was the reformed old Noble (6/8d or half mark) and the Threefarthings and Threehalfpence lasted only in the 1560s and 1570s, by 1581 they were gone. The 2d and 4d were kept and in 1600 the farthings became tin and private issues.
I love coins. Especially silver, gold and anything really old.
Member of the Royal Numismatic Society of New Zealand and the Auckland Numismatic Society
Wow! looks like we are missing more than a few of those in the catalog. They must have been busy! I see there are lots of different types too! Interesting that numbers 5, 7, 9 and 14 all equate to 1/48 thaler (I think there is at least one error in the database). Must have interesting making change!
Prussia had 3 currency regions at that time. The Brandenburg part had its own Thaler similar to other North German states. Prussia proper (Eastern part outside of the Holy Roman Empire) used a Polish system with a Schilling being 18 Pfennigs. And Silezia was just annexed from Austria and still used a Bohemian system with Gröschls which was effective 3/4 of an ordinary Groschen.