- This article is about the language and its associated movement. For the Esperanto version of Currency Wiki, see here.
| Esperanto | |
|---|---|
|
| |
| Language | |
| Creator | |
| Date |
1887 |
| Language codes | |
| Movement | |
| Speakers |
Native speakers: 200–1000 (1996) |
| Regulated by | |
| Currencies | |
Esperanto (help • info) is the world's most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language. The first Esperanto publication, Unua Libro, written by Russian author L. L. Zamenhof, was introduced in 1887. Currently, it is estimated that there are anywhere from 10,000 to 2,000,000 active or fluent speakers, or Esperantists. The language is spoken in about 115 countries, and usage is particularly high in Europe, East Asia, and South America.[1]
History[]
L. L. Zamenhof
On December 17, 1878, L. L. Zamenhof created the first version of Esperanto, which he dubbed the Lingwe uniwersala. However, at the time, Zamenhof was too young to publish his work, and while he attended university, he handed it over to his father, Mordechai, for safe-keeping until he completed his studies. His father, not understanding his son's ideas and perhaps anticipating problems with the Okhrana, burned the work. When Zamenhof finished school, he discovered his father's act and developed a new form of Esperanto, the Lingvo universala. In 1887, after perfecting the language, Zamenhof published Unua Libro, the first publication of Esperanto.[3]
Numismatics[]
- Main article: Esperantism and money
Three stelo coins.
In May 1907, Swiss Esperantist René de Saussure proposed an idea for an international currency, which became known as the spesmilo. The newly founded World Esperanto Association (UEA) began to propagate the currency system, and it was adopted by a number of British and Swiss banks, including the Ĉekbanko esperantista. The idea of the spesmilo eventually died during the 1930s. In 1945, after the founding of the Universal League (Universala Ligo), the Esperantists attempted to introduce another currency, the stelo ("star" in Esperanto), which saw slight use in some European countries. Like the spesmilo, ideas of the stelo eventually died. Recently, a new Esperantist currency, the mono, was introduced by comedian Daniel Salomon and distributed by the Sennacia Banko.[2]
| Code | Currency Name | Dates | Conversion | Divisions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spesmilo |
|
1000 Spesos = 1 Spesmilo | |||||
| Stelo |
|
Esperanto on foreign currency[]
A Cuban peso coin with Esperanto inscriptions.
The Esperanto language has become the subject of a few commemorative coins from around the world, but not very many due to its status as an auxiliary language. Among such are Cuban 1 and 5 peso coins from 1990 celebrating the World Congress of Esperanto, which was being held in Havana that year. On the obverse is the Esperanto legend "UNIVERSALA KONGRESO DE ESPERANTO", which translates as "Universal Congress of Esperanto", and an image of L. L. Zamenhof. A 20 kuna piece was later issued by Croatia in 1997 to commemorate the first Congress of Croatian Esperantists. This coin bears the Esperanto legend "UNUA KONGRESO DE KROATAJ ESPERANTISTOJ" and the Croatian text "PRVI KONGRES HRVATSKIH ESPERANTISTA" on its obverse, both translating to English as "First Congress of Croatian Esperantists". Also on the obverse is the Esperanto anniversary symbol of that year.
See also[]
- Fantasy coin
- Micronational currency
References[]
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Currency Wiki has 4 images related to Esperanto. |
