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

@talerman The Hungarian denars that have mint/mint master marks are
in my opinion more scarce or rarer than the ones with the KB mark. Yours
is very nicely preserved as most of the non KB denars tend to be rough.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Thank you, @tibor. Rarer and more interesting. As you probably know the C G mint mark stands for C (= Clausenburg (today Cluj in Romania)) G (= Frater Georgius, royal Treasurer). I had never heard of Brother George before I acquired the coin but I discovered he is quite a well-known figure in Hungarian history, as you may well know. Also known as György Martinuzzi, he was the son of Croatian noble Grgur Utješinovic, and Anna Martinuzzi of Venice. A Paulist friar, he became a close adviser to King Johann. In 1529, Zapolya appointed Martinuzzi royal Counselor and treasurer.

 

Wow, that certainly did pick up pace there! A slight catch up as I will be out soon:

Riga 1540.

Livonia 1539.

 

Bother! I realise I also missed out on my 1541 Livonia Shilling:

Now carry on at 1538 or earlier! Apologies for the back track...

 

The coinage of Johann I Zapolya should be classified as Transylvania

 

A Henry VIII halfpenny with the distinctive mm. Sunburst. This short lived and rare mark is considered by consensus to celebrate the birth of the future Edward VI in 1537. Dire condition, but rare for most denominations with maybe a dozen halfpennies known, only the groat is commoner, the others being excessively rare.

 

You are right, of course, although Johann I Zapolya styled himself King of Hungary on these coins and the history is complicated. Voivod of Translyvania since 1511, he was elected King of Hungary by the Diet on 5 Nov. 1526 after the death of Ludwig II at the Battle of Mohacs with the Ottomans and crowned on 10 Nov. However, part of Hungary had fallen into the hands of Ferdinand II of Austria, who was also elected King by a rump Diet in Dec. 1526. After an intermittent conflict, in 1538 Zapolya designated Ferdinand as his successor under the Treaty of Nagyvarad. However, just before his death in 1540 he had a son, Johann Sigismund and on his deathbed, Johann I bequeathed his realm to his son. The late king's staunchest supporters elected the infant king, although he was never crowned with the Holy Crown of Hungary. An intermittent war followed between his followers supported by the Ottoman forces of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and the Habsburgs, which only ended with the Treaty of Adrianople in 1568. Johann Sigismund was confirmed as ruler in the eastern territories of the medieval Kingdom of Hungary (Transylvania and "Partium", parts). I think the title Prince (as against the lesser title of Voivod) of Transylvania first appeared on a 1577 10 Ducats of Elisabeth Bocskai, wife of Christoph Battori (the kind of coin panzerman might have !) and became standard under Sigismund Bathori (1581-1602).

The coins of the subsequent Transylvanian rulers were more realistic about their position in Hungary. If I may be allowed to stray from the theme of this thread, here is a 1678 Double Taler of Michael Apafi with the reverse legend PAR:REG:HUNo (lord of part of the kingdom of Hungary)_ET.SIC:COMES (count of the Szecklers).1678:

 

I have this one from 1536 - again I have it down as a Livonia Shilling but I suspect I will be corrected!

 

And this ends my participation. At least in posting new material.

1535 German States - Saxony Thaler




Obverse: Bare-headed bust right in a circle, holding a sword over right shoulder, titles of Johann Friedrich I divided by 4 small shields of arms and begin IOHAN - FRI
Reverse: Bare-headed bearded bust of Georg left in a circle, titles, and date divided by 4 small shields of arms

Ruler: Johann Friedrich I and Georg
Note: Dav. #9721. Varieties exist.

Composition: Silver

 

It certainly looks like a Livonian Order Schilling to me, struck by Herman Bruggeney, Master, in Reval. I think it is a less common type with the date above the arms rather than in the legend or divided by the arms. The reference is Hutten-Czapski 6401.

 

1537 Germany WURTTEMBERG Ulrich Taler with c/m (64 Kreuzer)

Ulrich had a turbulent life. His mother died in childbirth and his father was mentally deranged. He succeeded his uncle Eberhard III as Duke of Württemberg in 1498 at the age of 11 and was declared of age in 1503. In 1511 he married Sabina of Bavaria, niece of Emperor Maximilian. Unhappy with the marriage, Ulrich was attracted to the wife of Hans van Hutten but in an altercation in 1515 killed Hans. Sabina fled from her husband and sought help from the Emperor and her brother Wilhelm IV of Bavaria. Ulrich was twice put under Imperial ban under which you were legally considered dead, and anyone was allowed to rob, injure or kill you without legal consequences. Unpopular with his subjects, the Swabian League finally drove Ulrich from Württemberg in 1519 and sold his territory to Emperor Charles V. Ulrich then spent time in Switzerland, France & Germany in what Wikipedia describes as brigand exploits and in the service of France. He tried to invade Württemberg in 1525 with an army of mainly Swiss and French soldiers but failed and again became a fugitive,. Having converted to the Reformed Church, he became friends with one of the Protestant leaders, Philip of Hesse. The Thirty Years' War was now in full swing and In 1534 he and Philip of Hesse invaded Württemberg again and defeated the Imperial forces at Lauffen. Ferdinand, Emperor Charles V's brother and the Habsburg Archduke of Austria, agreed to recognize Ulrich as Duke of Württemberg again but only under Austrian suzerainty.

We now finally get to the circumstances of the countermark on Ulrich's Taler. As duke, Ulrich quickly implemented the doctrines of Luther, especially the seizure of church property to help his impoverished exchequer. He also increased taxation and, not content with that, struck debased coinage.

Some of these Talers and Half Talers , along with debased coinage of other German mints, came to circulate in Tyrol in Austrian territory, competing with the good local coins struck at Hall. As a short-term measure Emperor Charles V made use of his suzerainty over Württemberg and ordered that these Talers and Halbtalers should be countermarked with an Imperial eagle to make their true value (64 Kreuzer instead of 68) visible to everyone.




1535 Germany BRUNSWICK-WOLFENBUTTEL Heinrich the Younger

 

Always fun, interesting and educational here! Please do not ever hesitate to correct, amplify or add to my notions, tidbits, or declarations! Love it! I lean toward the Germanic coins, so anyone want to ditch the coins displayed above, I'm willing to take them off your hands!

Okay, I've got here a 1535 Duchy of Prussia. Another Albrecht, Duke of Prussia and Margrave of Brandenburg.


That said, I'm out until 1531 . . .

Simply lovely! Thanks to all for showin' off your 16th century beauties!

 

I am coming towards the end of the ones I have - I think 1532 is the last for me, unless anything else turns up! I have the Hungarian Dinar 1535:

Rather creepy I think with the bog-eyed Madonna and child!

 

Very nice condition !

 

Beautifull coins

Here is my 1531 from Rauch Auction in 2015
AV Dukat 1531 K-B Kremnitz Mint
Ferdinand I

 

Thanks, talerman! It's another one of those older Germanic coins I obtained way back in 2000 while residing in Wiesbaden. I recall that I questioned its authenticity because of the fabulous condition. A very insulted coin dealer in Frankfurt (or Mainz?) insisted it was authentic and said he would take it back if I found anyone who said it wasn't real. I did drop in on one ancient coin and stamp dealer on Wilhelmstrasse in Wiesbaden, who said I got the deal of a lifetime!

In any case, I really like it!

Golly, I just realized with panzerman's beautiful gold dukat, we are in 1531! I've got another one of those sweet Albrechts from 1531. It's decent but not as good condition as my other Albrechts. A 1531, one groschen (MB 3).

 

Catching up again

1534 Germany MUNSTER Anabaptist Rule (1534-36) 2 Taler

After the suppression of the peasants' revolt in German Peasants' War (1524–1525), a forceful attempt to establish theocracy was made at Münster (1532-35). Initially led by radical Lutherans, they were pushed aside by more radical Anabaptists preaching the absolute equality of man in all matters including the distribution of wealth. Rebaptism became compulsory, the property of people who left the city was shared out with the poor and soon a proclamation was issued that all property was to be held in common.

The city was then besieged by Franz von Waldeck, its expelled bishop. In April 1534 on Easter Sunday, one of the Anabaptist leaders, Jan Matthys, who had prophesied God's judgment to come on the wicked on that day, made a sally forth with only twelve followers, believing that he was a second Gideon, and was cut off with his entire band. He was killed, his head severed and placed on a pole for all in the city to see, and his genitals nailed to the city gate.

The 25-year-old Jan van Leiden was subsequently recognized as Matthys' religious and political successor, justifying his authority and actions by the receipt of visions from heaven. His authority grew, eventually proclaiming himself to be the successor of David and adopting royal regalia, honors and absolute power in the new "Zion". There were at least three times as many women of marriageable age as men now in the town and he legalized polygamy and himself took sixteen wives. Meanwhile, most of the residents of Münster were starving as a result of the year-long siege.

After lengthy resistance, the city was taken by the besiegers on June 24, 1535 and Jan van Leiden and several other prominent Anabaptist leaders were captured and imprisoned. In January 1536 Jan van Leiden, Bernhard Knipperdolling and one more prominent follower, Bernhard Krechting, were tortured and executed in the marketplace of Münster. Their bodies were exhibited in cages, which hung from the steeple of St. Lambert's Church. The bones were removed later, but the cages hang there still. (Source: Wikipedia)

All this did not prevent the Anabaptists striking some high grade coins during their brief rule. The obverse legends on this 2 Taler are WE.NICHT.GEBORE.IS.VTH.DE.WAT.VN.GEIS'.MAC.NICH (he who has not been baptised will not be saved) and in the circle */DAT.WOR./T.IS.FLEISCH/GE.WORDEN*/.VN.VANET*/.IN*VNS*/**/* (the word has become flesh and lives within us)
The reverse legends are
IN.GAEN.INT.RIKE.GADES.EIN.KININCK.VPREG.OV'AL (God's empire with one king stands above all) with the inner legend: EIN.GODT.EIN.GELOVE.EIN.DOEPE* (one God,one faith,one baptism)

 

1533 Germany LEUCHTENBERG Johann VI (or, on some counts, IV) (1487-1531)
Batzen Either posthumous issue or error



Also
1533 Another denar from Hungary, or at least the Habsburg part of Hungary

HUNGARY Ferdinand I Denar struck at Gvozdansko with mm LG ( = Leonhard Gruber who received right to mint royal denars from Ferdinand I in 1532 )

 

1531 Germany LUBECK Medallic 1/2 Taler (16 Schilling) with on obverse King David seated on throne and on reverse male and female figures climbing two ladders to heaven, watched by 3 sheep



Also another Denar from Austrian Hungary

1531 HUNGARY Ferdinand I Denar struck at Gvozdansko by Count Nikolaus Zrinyi, who received a concession to mint royal denars from Ferdinand I in 1529.
The Zrinyi arms (eagle's wing) are in the legend at the bottom of the reverse

 

Looks like we had a bit of a jump there! 1535, then 1531, back track to 1534 and 1533, then on to 1531 again. Somehow we missed 1532, so here is mine - the last contribution I can currently make:

Riga shilling I believe, but please correct me.