Rachel Fishel

Rachel Fishel was a 16th century moneylender of Polish kings. Her husband was engaged in the lease of customs duties and other royal revenues but she engaged independently in moneylending from 1483. During her moneylending career was in contact with the courts of kings Casimir IV (r. 1447 – 1492), John I Albert (r. 1492 – 1501), and Alexander I (r. 1501 – 1506). To compensate Crown’s credits to Rachel, Alexander I annulled the Crown debts due to her and her late husband and ordered the mint to mint coins from her silver bars; the coins were worth 1600 florins more than the bars, being 1000 as repayment of principal and 600 for interest.