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<p>[QUOTE="FitzNigel, post: 2587844, member: 74712"]I had recently made a goal to complete a certain set of medieval French coins before the end of the year, but had to take a departure from that with my most recent purchase (and I may have to delay that goal to about February now...). This is my first German coin, and I have taken more of an interest in German coins in recent months due to the beautiful artistry on many of them (compared to French coins which usually just contain a cross).</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]563067[/ATTACH] </p><p><font size="3">German States, Cologne</font></p><p><font size="3">Archbishop Philipp von Heinsberg, r. 1167-1191</font></p><p><font size="3">AR Deniers, 3rd type, 18.05 mm x 1.4 grams</font></p><p><font size="3">Obv.: HITARCH EPICOV, Archbishop with mitre, crosier, and bible seated on lion throne</font></p><p><font size="3">Rev.: EIACOLONIA PAICHAI, Three towers over wall and gate, likely representing the Cathedral of St Peter, Cologne</font></p><p><font size="3">Ref.: De Wit 1993</font></p><p><br /></p><p>The Obverse of this coin is a common depiction of a bishop with the symbols of his office: the crozier in his right hand, the Bible in his left, and a mitre upon his head. I will admit that the mitre is a bit confusing, as it clearly shows it is indented in the middle, whereas a mitre would usually come to a point at the front. It is almost as if the hat was depicted sideways (an example of a bishop's mitre is shown below). It is exceptionally sharp, with the flat areas a product of ghosting from the reverse design.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]563068[/ATTACH] </p><p><font size="3">A Medieval mitre</font></p><p><br /></p><p>The legend says "HIT ARC-HEPICOPV." While 'archepicopu' is clearly 'archbishop,' 'hit' is a little more confusing. My initial thought was perhaps this is 'hic'; the nominative singular for 'this' as if the coin was saying 'this is the archbishop.' It is not unusual for Medieval Latin to replace a 'c' with a 't' and vice versa. According to de Wit (referencing Engel and Serrure), 'Hit' supposedly stands for 'Hildebold' who was the first archbishop of Cologne and advisor to Charlemagne: a role that Philip would also fill for Frederick Barbarossa. How 'Hit' stands for 'Hildebold' eludes me (that pesky 'T' still stands in the way), but I find neither answer to be satisfactory. </p><p><br /></p><p>The obverse design is very similar to the seal of a later archbishop of Cologne, Englebert II, and I suspect this same design was used on Philip's seal (despite my being unable to find an example). It is interesting that what appears to be a lion throne on the seal also appears on the coin if one looks close enough. The Lion's throne was a device used on Frederick Barbarossa's coins as a symbol of his authority (and Philip gained the archepiscopal see at the desire of Barbarossa), this and the copying of other devices on Barbarossa's coins may be an indicator of his loyalty and friendship (that is until later when Philip would fall out of favor). The use of a lion throne likely comes from a description in the Bible from Kings 10:18-20.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]563070[/ATTACH] </p><p><font size="3">Seal of Englebert of Cologne</font></p><p><br /></p><p>Lion thrones aside, I have often wondered why many coins don't copy the same pictures and devices as seals, since they essentially represent the same thing, and are produced by a similar method. Coins and seals both lend authenticity to what they are stamped on, and they are created through the process of transferring a reversed image onto either metal or wax. In the case of this coin, I believe it is safe to say the coin matches a seal! (Royal coins will occasionally depicted the king enthroned which was common on seals, or the king on horseback denoting his military role, another common depiction from seals. I have not seen another ecclesiastical coin which copies a seal aside from these coins from Cologne and other nearby German states).</p><p><br /></p><p>The reverse of this coin depicts a wall and gate or church behind it. Exactly what it is representing has likely become muddled at this point, as the original design was begun by Saint Anno II Archbishop of Cologne from 1056-1075. One of the versions minted by St. Anno has 'PETR' written on the building, likely indicating it is meant to be the Cathedral of St. Peter in Cologne. This would make the most obvious sense, since the Cathedral would be the seat of the Archbishop, but the cathedral depicted was demolished in the 13th century to make way for the current gothic cathedral of Cologne.</p><p><br /></p><p>A depiction of the St. Anno coin can be found <a href="http://www.numismatas.com/Forum/Pdf/David%20Ruckser/Coins%20of%20Cologne.pdf" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.numismatas.com/Forum/Pdf/David%20Ruckser/Coins%20of%20Cologne.pdf" rel="nofollow">here</a>, on page 28. My attempts to find another picture of the coin, or reproduce the one on this guide to the medieval coins of Cologne, have proven to be unsatisfactory.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]563073[/ATTACH] </p><p><font size="3">The Arms of Cologn (Köln)</font></p><p><br /></p><p>The reason for the Cathedral's replacement falls to events occurring during the reign of Frederick Barbarossa. During one of Barbarossa's expeditions to Italy, he attacked Milan and seized what is believed to be the relics of the three wise men (or the Magi as they are sometimes called. These men share an important role in Christianity as being the first to recognize Christ's divinity as a young child, and also establishing him as a 'King of Kings'). These bones were brought back to Germany, and were gifted to Reinald von Dassel, Archbishop of Cologne, and predecessor to Philip von Heinsberg (William of Newburgh records the events as a clever trick of Reginald's to have the bones secreted out of Milan and brought to Cologne). Philip would begin building the shrine to house the bones of the magi around the year 1190. King Otto IV would gift three golden crowns to be included in the shrine for the kings, and it is because of these gifts that the coat of arms of Cologne contains three gold crowns.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]563075[/ATTACH] </p><p><font size="3">A side view of the reliquary to the Magi, begun by Archbishop Philip von Heinsberg</font></p><p><br /></p><p>The shrine is the largest reliquary in the western world (naturally, since it houses three bodies), and the inclusion of the Magi at Cologne made it a popular pilgrimage site. Because of the large number of pilgrims, the small Cathedral of St. Peter couldn't hold the numbers, calling for the construction of the Gothic Cathedral that stands in Cologne today.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]563077[/ATTACH] </p><p><font size="3">Cologne Cathedral</font></p><p><br /></p><p>[MEDIA=youtube]GgRMY6dKCyU[/MEDIA]</p><p><br /></p><p>The Shrine was hidden away during the French invasion of Germany in the Napoleonic wars, but reinstated in the Cathedral afterwards. The construction of the Cathedral had still not been completed by the 19th century, but a discovery of its original plans would lead to the Prussian state finishing it. During the course of its completion, the reliquary of the magi was opened and inspected. In addition to finding the bones of the Magi and the three gold crowns, there was something else they found: a coin of Philip von Heinsberg.</p><p><br /></p><p>Happy holidays all! Feel free to post anything related (Christmas, medieval or Cologne - if I remember correctly, the city was important to Probus...)[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="FitzNigel, post: 2587844, member: 74712"]I had recently made a goal to complete a certain set of medieval French coins before the end of the year, but had to take a departure from that with my most recent purchase (and I may have to delay that goal to about February now...). This is my first German coin, and I have taken more of an interest in German coins in recent months due to the beautiful artistry on many of them (compared to French coins which usually just contain a cross). [ATTACH=full]563067[/ATTACH] [SIZE=3]German States, Cologne Archbishop Philipp von Heinsberg, r. 1167-1191 AR Deniers, 3rd type, 18.05 mm x 1.4 grams Obv.: HITARCH EPICOV, Archbishop with mitre, crosier, and bible seated on lion throne Rev.: EIACOLONIA PAICHAI, Three towers over wall and gate, likely representing the Cathedral of St Peter, Cologne Ref.: De Wit 1993[/SIZE] The Obverse of this coin is a common depiction of a bishop with the symbols of his office: the crozier in his right hand, the Bible in his left, and a mitre upon his head. I will admit that the mitre is a bit confusing, as it clearly shows it is indented in the middle, whereas a mitre would usually come to a point at the front. It is almost as if the hat was depicted sideways (an example of a bishop's mitre is shown below). It is exceptionally sharp, with the flat areas a product of ghosting from the reverse design. [ATTACH=full]563068[/ATTACH] [SIZE=3]A Medieval mitre[/SIZE] The legend says "HIT ARC-HEPICOPV." While 'archepicopu' is clearly 'archbishop,' 'hit' is a little more confusing. My initial thought was perhaps this is 'hic'; the nominative singular for 'this' as if the coin was saying 'this is the archbishop.' It is not unusual for Medieval Latin to replace a 'c' with a 't' and vice versa. According to de Wit (referencing Engel and Serrure), 'Hit' supposedly stands for 'Hildebold' who was the first archbishop of Cologne and advisor to Charlemagne: a role that Philip would also fill for Frederick Barbarossa. How 'Hit' stands for 'Hildebold' eludes me (that pesky 'T' still stands in the way), but I find neither answer to be satisfactory. The obverse design is very similar to the seal of a later archbishop of Cologne, Englebert II, and I suspect this same design was used on Philip's seal (despite my being unable to find an example). It is interesting that what appears to be a lion throne on the seal also appears on the coin if one looks close enough. The Lion's throne was a device used on Frederick Barbarossa's coins as a symbol of his authority (and Philip gained the archepiscopal see at the desire of Barbarossa), this and the copying of other devices on Barbarossa's coins may be an indicator of his loyalty and friendship (that is until later when Philip would fall out of favor). The use of a lion throne likely comes from a description in the Bible from Kings 10:18-20. [ATTACH=full]563070[/ATTACH] [SIZE=3]Seal of Englebert of Cologne[/SIZE] Lion thrones aside, I have often wondered why many coins don't copy the same pictures and devices as seals, since they essentially represent the same thing, and are produced by a similar method. Coins and seals both lend authenticity to what they are stamped on, and they are created through the process of transferring a reversed image onto either metal or wax. In the case of this coin, I believe it is safe to say the coin matches a seal! (Royal coins will occasionally depicted the king enthroned which was common on seals, or the king on horseback denoting his military role, another common depiction from seals. I have not seen another ecclesiastical coin which copies a seal aside from these coins from Cologne and other nearby German states). The reverse of this coin depicts a wall and gate or church behind it. Exactly what it is representing has likely become muddled at this point, as the original design was begun by Saint Anno II Archbishop of Cologne from 1056-1075. One of the versions minted by St. Anno has 'PETR' written on the building, likely indicating it is meant to be the Cathedral of St. Peter in Cologne. This would make the most obvious sense, since the Cathedral would be the seat of the Archbishop, but the cathedral depicted was demolished in the 13th century to make way for the current gothic cathedral of Cologne. A depiction of the St. Anno coin can be found [URL='http://www.numismatas.com/Forum/Pdf/David%20Ruckser/Coins%20of%20Cologne.pdf']here[/URL], on page 28. My attempts to find another picture of the coin, or reproduce the one on this guide to the medieval coins of Cologne, have proven to be unsatisfactory. [ATTACH=full]563073[/ATTACH] [SIZE=3]The Arms of Cologn (Köln)[/SIZE] The reason for the Cathedral's replacement falls to events occurring during the reign of Frederick Barbarossa. During one of Barbarossa's expeditions to Italy, he attacked Milan and seized what is believed to be the relics of the three wise men (or the Magi as they are sometimes called. These men share an important role in Christianity as being the first to recognize Christ's divinity as a young child, and also establishing him as a 'King of Kings'). These bones were brought back to Germany, and were gifted to Reinald von Dassel, Archbishop of Cologne, and predecessor to Philip von Heinsberg (William of Newburgh records the events as a clever trick of Reginald's to have the bones secreted out of Milan and brought to Cologne). Philip would begin building the shrine to house the bones of the magi around the year 1190. King Otto IV would gift three golden crowns to be included in the shrine for the kings, and it is because of these gifts that the coat of arms of Cologne contains three gold crowns. [ATTACH=full]563075[/ATTACH] [SIZE=3]A side view of the reliquary to the Magi, begun by Archbishop Philip von Heinsberg[/SIZE] The shrine is the largest reliquary in the western world (naturally, since it houses three bodies), and the inclusion of the Magi at Cologne made it a popular pilgrimage site. Because of the large number of pilgrims, the small Cathedral of St. Peter couldn't hold the numbers, calling for the construction of the Gothic Cathedral that stands in Cologne today. [ATTACH=full]563077[/ATTACH] [SIZE=3]Cologne Cathedral[/SIZE] [MEDIA=youtube]GgRMY6dKCyU[/MEDIA] The Shrine was hidden away during the French invasion of Germany in the Napoleonic wars, but reinstated in the Cathedral afterwards. The construction of the Cathedral had still not been completed by the 19th century, but a discovery of its original plans would lead to the Prussian state finishing it. During the course of its completion, the reliquary of the magi was opened and inspected. In addition to finding the bones of the Magi and the three gold crowns, there was something else they found: a coin of Philip von Heinsberg. Happy holidays all! Feel free to post anything related (Christmas, medieval or Cologne - if I remember correctly, the city was important to Probus...)[/QUOTE]
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