Germany BRANDENBURG-ANSBACH Georg Friedrich the Younger Taler 1694 Struck to commemorate his taking over government at Ansbach on reaching his majority (at the age of 16). The reverse shows the Palace gardens Germany Johann Friedrich BRANDENBURG-ANSBACH 2/3 Taler (Gulden) 1679 The reverse shows the hand of Jehovah holding a crown coming out from clouds over an altar, with the legend IEHOVA_CORONAT (Jehovah crowns). Johann Friedrich wanted his subjects to understand fully that he held his crown by divine right.
Germany BRUNSWICK-LUNEBURG-CALENBERG Ernst August Two Harz silver mine issues Reichstaler 1690 The edge inscription reads AGRICOLAM + SEGETIS + SPES + NOS + ALIT + HAECCE + METALLI + (the peasant's hope is seed, we ourselves are fed by this piece of metal) Reichstaler 1693 This coin has a different edge inscription: DAS.LAND.DIE. FRUCHTE. BRINGT. IM. HARTZ. DER. THALER. KLINGT.. (the land brings its fruits, in the Harz the Taler sounds)
I just posted this coin on the Saints thread but it then struck me it qualified for this thread as well. I hope no one objects to the double posting. Italy PAPAL STATES Innocent XI Piastre Year 1/ 1676-7 The die cutter is Girolamo Lucenti, papal medallist c.1668-90. Another variety was then cut by the more famous Giovanni Hamerani with St, Matthew seated on a cloud instead of in a chair.
Before I head off to work.... Papal States 1/2 Scudo d'oro ND (1709) Roma Mint Pope Clemente XI France AV Louis d'or 1791-L Limoges Mint Passau AV 1/2 Dukat 1709 Nurnberg Mint Cardinal Johann Philipp Graf Vom Lamberg
Since I can’t keep up with the lovely coins here (I posted most of mine from this period earlier), here’s another truly sublime piece of Baroque music to keep the mood going. Imagine you’re in a palace or cathedral or a church like the one shown, in the 18th century. You live in a world without recorded music, amplifiers, synthesizers, CD players, or YouTube. Sure, you’d have heard snippets of music in the outside world: people singing in taverns or market stalls. Maybe a shepherd piping a simple tune on his wooden flute. But imagine you enter the church and you hear THAT, sounding much as it does in the video. After all, they had trumpets and organs then, obviously. No wonder you’d be awestruck, and maybe have a religious experience. Not to mention that only two people are weaving that entire rich tapestry of sound. Not an orchestra.
Good stuff. Lots of talent there. My grandson (13) plays the trumpet in his school band....but not that well. My granddaughter (10) is practicing on an organ.....but again, not that well. Maybe someday they will play very well.....hopefully.
Imagine you a rich 18th century nobleman. When you wake up, you don't switch on the radio, you call for your string quartet to come and entertain you while you get dressed. For example, Hieronymus Graf Colloredo, Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg, who employed Mozart as his concertmaster with a rather low annual salary of 150 guilders before, after a period of conflict, laying him off at the age of 21, in 1777. SALZBURG Hieronymus Graf Colloredo Taler 1777 (not my coin; from CNG Electronic Auction 73, 2003, Lot 133)
I would have rather went to the mints and picked up perfect freshly minted AV coins/ esp. the multiple Dukaten coinage. It was the best time to be a coin collector
UK : William & Mary half crown - 1689 France : Louis XIII quart d'ecu - 1643 France : Louis XIV quart d'ecu 1694 Q
The Baroque era was the apex in roller die struck coinage. One of the best examples of this technology, at its height, is the series of 50 reales that were struck at Segovia, Spain, during the reigns of Philip III, Philip IV and Charles II. These massive coins are a testament to the die makers and mint workers who were able to harness the power and skill to produce these impressive presentation coins. Here's a coin that has its roots in the Baroque Spain, in 1732, and traded worldwide, with dies produced at her colonial mints in Mexico, Guatemala, Lima, Santiago, Potosi and Bogota. The design continued until 1772, when it was replaced by portrait coinage. Many collectors regard this type, the "pillars and waves" design as one of the most attractive trade coins designed in modern times. This design continued until 1772, when it was replaced by portrait coinage. I think, speaking generally, the Baroque Period did produce some truly exceptional coins, but so did the ancients, as well as makers of coinage after 1750, as exemplified by this 5 marks from German New Guinea. As well as 20'th century coins, notably the coinage designed by Augustus Saint-Gaudens, which looks back at classical art.
I've a few Baroque Era pieces. Actually, most of them have not been photographed as they didn't fit into my main collecting countries. My introduction to this era was an Austrian Hogmouth taler of 1698 or 99. Bought at one of the 1st major coin shows I attended in the late 1980's, possibly from Karl Stephens. Common & cheap but absolutely mint state. I'll have to photograph it & upload. Meanwhile, a few pieces which are photographed. England, Oliver Cromwell, half-crown, 1658 Poland, Ladislowitz IV, taler, 1634
Thanks, it was bought around 1990 - 1992, well before the "Age of Slabbing". At least for non-US coins. I told Karl Stephens that I wanted a crown of Cromwell and he found this half crown for me at a major show {I think in CA} and sold it to me. He was the one dealer I could buy decent foreign from at a high but doable price. Also, his quality was good. Another one I found but never posted here yet. Poland: Pomerania, taler, 1633 Stack's auction ca. 2001 Pomerania was under the rule of Poland or Germany at varying times. Since I couldn't find any Polish talers at the moment and my ancestors are supposedly from Pomerania, I bid on it. Stack's listed it as unc and since talers were no big deal in 2001, it sold to me. It looks Germanic, not Polish, from the style, but was cheap enough not to worry about. No, it isn't hairlined; that's just my bad picture taking ability back then.
PAPAL STATES Innocent XII Piastre 1692 The reverse shows Archangel Michael throwing lightning down on Satan on the ground lying right, sinking among flames, stones and clouds. The legend reads DEVS PACIS_ CONTERET _ SATANAM (God of peace will destroy Satan)