[Game] World Coins Time Machine… Counting Backward by Year! (Plus Prize Coin)

France, Dombes - double tournois, 1596

Q

 

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I'm a little embarrassed to say that I can't find the reference in my notes. At one point I had found the source of the name but it is escaping me now. In that era, there are a lot of named Thalers.

 

1595 Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel Thaler

This Thaler's design was directed at Heinrich Julius’ cousins in neighboring Luneberg-Celle. They were trying to gain a larger influence in his territory.

Obverse: Wildman walking to the left between year, holding in the right-hand torch, left-hand double pointed javelin, a dog lies to the right behind the wild man, right field. D.G.S.G. (Hard to kick) left field top. N.M.T. (Let no one touch me) this all-in circle, HENRI.IVLI. D: G.POST.EPIS.HAL.D.BRVN.E.LVN. P.P.G.

Reverse: Korah and his companions being swallowed up by the earth in the presence of Moses and the Israelites with the letters: N.R.M.A.D.I.E.S. This translates to “Evil does not depart from the ungrateful and rebellious house.” NVMENVI around the circle eleven crowned shields.

Ruler: Heinrich Julius
Note: Dav.#9088. Rebel Thaler.

Composition: Silver

 

We are getting into the unknown of my collection. I got this coin on November 12, 2000, while living in Wiesbaden. This three groschen is, according to my notes, the Kingdom of Poland, 1594, when Sigismund III Vasa, or Zygmunt III Waza, was running Poland. KM# 6; but I have no idea where I got that attribution? He was, according to my research (and a recent article World Coin News or another magazine, if memory serves (be doubtful)), also heir to a Scandinavian kingdom (Sweden? - again, if memory serves), but got booted out because he dared to be Catholic. I hope someone enjoys viewing it as much as I enjoyed Chris B's 1595 Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel thaler. And cucumber's 1596 double tournois. And . . . .

 

That’s a nicely struck one. I have a few more recent ones but not as nice as yours.

 

1593 German States Saxony Thaler

Obverse: 1/2-length facing figures of 3 brothers in a circle, head of middle figure divides date, small imperial orb above, titles in legend
Reverse: 13-fold arms with a central shield of electoral Saxony breaks legend at the bottom
Reverse Legend: FRAT. ET. DV - CES. SAXON

Ruler: Christian II, Johann Georg I and August
Note: Dav. #9820

Composition: Silver

 

Not the greatest coin but the first I have had to post for a while - French Liard 1592:

 

1592 Sweden ½ öre, Johan III, silver 1.8% fine, 0.001 oz.

This coin is the first of 3 coins I bought that were inspired by this thread, and extend my dated coins into the 16 century. All 3 coins extend my Scandinavian öre/øre collection. This collection began with my interest in the Sweden, Denmark, and Norway öre/øre minted with unusual metals during WWI and WWII, when iron and zinc replaced bronze. The collection eventually followed the history of the denomination back in time.

Going back in time, the history of the öre/øre becomes the history of the öre. This is because, the Sweden öre denomination was adopted in 1873, in name and value {4}, by the Scandinavian Monetary Union of Sweden, Denmark, add later Norway for the minor unit of the Union’s currency (designated öre/Sweden, øre Denmark & Norway). The major unit was the krona/krone. All three members minted their own coinage of their own design, but all were pegged to the same gold standard and traded at par. The Union dissolved after WWI, when the gold standard was dropped, but each country continued to mint the denominations which no longer traded at par.​

The central design on the obverse is the coat of arms of the House of Vasa, which is a sheaf of wheat.

The Vasa Dynasty ruled Sweden from 1523 to 1654. Its founder Gustav Vasa (1523–1560) led Sweden to independence - from the Kalmar Union of Sweden, Denmark and Norway that was dominated by Denmark monarchs. He’s considered the father of modern Sweden. During Gustav Vasa’s reign, a monetary system based on coins was established for the first time in Sweden. The former mark and öre accounting units were then populated by coin. The territorial acquisitions of Gustav Adolf’s reign (1611–1632) mark the beginning of the Swedish Empire.

{3} The Swedish Empire refers to the Kingdom of Sweden's territorial control of much of the Baltic region during the 17th and early 18th centuries, a time when Sweden was one of the great European powers. The beginning of the Empire is usually taken as the reign of Gustavus Adolphus, who ascended the throne in 1611, and the end as the loss of territories in 1721 following the Great Northern War. In Swedish history, the period is referred to as stormaktstiden, literally meaning "the Great Power era".
​

I especially love the obverse photo of this coin. The break, the color or tone, the details in the corrosion, the still high relief and the prominent details of the device, draw me to reflect on its journey over the last 400+ years.

The coinage of 1592 holds an infamous place in Sweden History. 1592 is the year of the worst debased coinage in Swedish history. The coinage of 1592 was debased to about 10% of its nominal intrinsic value. The ½ öre nominal silver content would have been 20%, in 1592 it was debased to about 1.8%. {2}

There are multiple references indicating the worst inflation in Swedish history occurred during Johan III’s reign, as Johan sought to finance wars with Denmark, and Russia by debasing his coinage and increasing mintage numbers. There were 2 periods of inflation: 1561-1576 which coincided with the Northern Seven Years War (against a coalition of Denmark/Norway, Lübeck and Poland), and 1590-1593 which coincided with the Russo-Swedish War of 1590–95. 1592 saw the height of debasement of the coinage.


According to {2}, the debasement of the ½ öre “clearly reflects in the production volume and the high copper content of the half öre from 1592” (see mintage number at arrow below).


Johan III died in 1592, and Sigismund I Vasa (also Sigismund III Vasa of Poland) ascended the throne of Sweden. Under Sigismund, in 1593 and 1594, debased coins were exchanged for new coins of the correct intrinsic value. The debased coinage were not exchanged at face, but at a reduced value. According to {1},“The fine silver content of the most inferior klipping-mark in 1592 was almost one tenth of the new silver mark minted in 1593 … Still in 1593, the confidence in money had not yet been restored”


My coin certainly looks more like copper than silver, but even though the silver content is 1.8% for this coin, some high points have been scraped revealing a silver color beneath the corrosion.

{1} The multiple currencies of Sweden-Finland 1534-1803, by Rodney Edvinsson Stockholm Papers in Economic History No. 7, Department of Economic History Stockholm University 2009 http://www.historia.se/SPEH7.pdf

{2} Andreas Myntsida (Andreas Coin Page), Johan III:s ½-öresmynt (about Johan III's ½-ore coin). “Welcome to my coin page. The purpose of the coin page is to compile a variant list of Johan III's halves and to present information about these coins. On the page there is also my variation collection. “ (translated from Swedish by Google) https://www.andreasmyntsida.se/johan-iii-halvore/

{3} https://www.spottinghistory.com/historicalperiod/swedish-empire-sweden/

{4} Prior to the Scandinavian Monetary Union, the Swedish riksdaler = 100 öre. When the Union was adopted, 1 krone/krona = 1 Swedish riksdaler, and 1 krone/krona = 100 öre. So the value of the Swedish öre did not change when the Scandinavian Monetary Union was adopted.

 

Excellent write up there, @Jimski

 

Thanks @coin_nut. I very much appreciate the feedback.

 

Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel 1591 Thaler

Goslar mint, Dav-9072.

Obverse: Large armored bust left divides date, titles of Heinrich Julius
Reverse: Smaller 6-fold arms with concave sides, 3 helmets above, a wildman with a tree trunk in right hand at left

Ruler: Heinrich Julius

Composition: Silver

 

I'm must second coin_nut's praise. It's the information in posts like yours, Jimski (Chris B's next post is another example) that keeps me coming back over and over and over again! Thank you for taking the time to share all of that.

David

 

I generally look for numismatic or historical information on my coins. Since I retired, and have more time, I began generating files of the info that I find, like the one I posted. I tend to have a “dynamic” memory. Dynamic referring to computer memories that have to be refreshed (read and write back), or the data will fade away. So I have the files to refresh my brain.

I do like to tell a good story. Though, I went back and forth about posting the content in the last post. I didn’t know if it would be of interest. In the end, I posted it. So I appreciate the positive response about it.

 

My 1590 example....

AV 2 Doppia 1590 Parma Mint 33mm/ 13.18g.
Alessandro Farnese/ Duke of Piacenza

 

A lot of action - and many interesting coins - on this thread while I was away.

Here are 2 contributions for 1590.

Italy SAVOY Carlo Emanuele I Ducatone (imprisoned by NGC)




FRANCE Charles X, Cardinal de Bourbon ('King' 1589-90) Double tournois 1590 Dijon mint





This is an interesting coin emanating from the French Wars of Religion between Catholics and Protestants. As many of you may know, Charles, Cardinal de Bourbon, was proclaimed king by the Catholic Holy League after the assassination of the Cathoiic Henri III on 2 August 1589, because his heir was a Protestant, Henri de Navarre (who would become Henri IV). Charles had already been imprisoned by Henri III on 23 December 1588 after the murder of Henri of Guise. His rival king, Henri IV, kept Charles in prison until his death on 9 May 1590 so he never actually ruled. However, the League continued to strike coins in his name up until 1598. Henri IV brought the wars to an end by turning Catholic with the famous phrase "Paris is worth a Mass".

If I may be allowed to go back a bit since I was out of town, here is a 1/4 ecu struck in the name of Charles at Riom, a rare mint, in 1594, four years after his death:

 

If you started with World War II, you have come a long way !

Thank you for your very interesting write-up and the links to the references which are new to me

 

Filling in your memory, Sigismund was the son of King Johan III of Sweden and his first wife, Catherine Jagellonica of Poland. He was elected to the throne of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1587 and succeeded his father in Sweden in 1592. In 1595 his uncle, Duke Karl, summoned a Parliament which appointed him Regent with "the advice of the Council" while Sigismund remained in Poland, Karl intended to depose Sigismund, whose Catholicism was distrusted in Sweden, as you say. Eventually a civil war broke out. Sigismund landed in Sweden with an army in May 1598 but was defeated at the Battle of Stångebro in September. After some negotiations he fled back to Poland. Sigismund was officially deposed by a Riksdag on 24 July 1599 and in 1600 the Estates elected Duke Karl as King Karl IX.

As far as I know, KM has not catalogued Polish coinage before 1600 but your coin is indeed the same type as KM #6 for which they list strikings from 1601-1615. It is in beautiful condition. There is a detailed Polish catalogue of these coins by Tadeusz Iger: Katalog trojaków polskich (as you probably know, in Polish these 3 groschen coins are known as trojaks). He lists many different varieties in 1594. Your coin appears to be M.94.1a struck in Malbork (known as Marienburg during the centuries in which the town was controlled by the Germans). The two mint marks at the bottom of the reverse are those of Kacpra Goebla (the kind of O) and Gracjana Gonzalo (triangle), mint masters at Malbork. The lion rampant in the shield below the bust on the obverse is the arms of Jan Firlej Jr., crown treasurer,1590-1609.

 

You are the man, talerman! For one, you verified my memory is not so wretched; for that I owe you many thanks. Once again, thank you for pointing me to another resource that I will have to obtain (when I can find it). And, finally, thanks for trying to save my pride, but I will fully disclose that I had no idea, not even an inkling, that the three groschen coins are known as trojaks. Oh, there is just so much to learn!

 

If I am allowed to go back to 1594 for a moment, here is a Riksdaler of Sigismund as King of Sweden (and Poland) struck in Stockholm:

 

1589 Germany City of REGENSBURG Half Batzen (2 Pfennig) with title of Emperor Rudolf II on reverse