Show your coins depicting "Saints"

ST. MAURICE

Germany Archbishopric of MAGDEBURG Cathedral Chapter Reichstaler 1606

Born in AD 250 in Thebes in Egypt, Maurice became a soldier in the Roman army and eventually the commander of the Theban legion, entirely composed of Christians. Maurice pledged his men’s military allegiance to Rome but stated that service to God superseded all else. When Emperor Maximian ordered them to harass some local Christians, they refused. Ordering the unit to be punished, Maximian had every tenth soldier killed, a military punishment known as decimation. More orders followed, the men refused compliance as encouraged by Maurice, and a second decimation was ordered. In response to the Theban Christians' refusal to attack fellow Christians, Maximian ordered all the remaining members of his legion to be executed. This took place in Agaunum, now Saint-Maurice in Switzerland, site of the Abbey of St. Maurice. The relics of Maurice's body are supposedly held in Magdeburg. (Wikipedia) He is traditionally portrayed in armour, as on this reverse.

 

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Italy (Venice): silver grosso of Antonio Venier, ca. 1382-1400

(One of those figures on the obverse is the Doge Antonio Venier himself, I suspect- the fella with the hat on the left, perhaps? But who's the one with the halo there, on the right? Could be a saint, but I confess I don't know. Obviously, we have Christ on the other side, once again.)

The saint is St. Mark, handing the doge the banner. St. Mark is, of course, the patron saint of Venice, as in St.Mark's Square/ Piazza San Marco. Nice little coin.

 

This one has me excited - it is a new addition from this past weekend. The 1691 Halberstadt taler features a detailed St Stephan holding a Bible and palm branch. The taler was the last coinage issued by Halberstadt (jointly with city and bishopric) before it became part of Brandenburg-Prussia.

 

Nice taler, @ wcg! I think that on your coin, St. Stephen also holds three stones as the instrument of his martyrdom.

I got a much earlier St. Stephen from Halberstadt:

Bishopric of Halberstadt, under Gero von Schermbke/von Schochwitz, AR bracteate penny, 1169–1177 AD. Obv: + S–STEPHANVSPROTOMARTI; bust of St. Stephen facing between three stones and star. Rev: negative design. 25mm, 0.83g. Ref: Berger 1324; Slg. Bonhoff 483.

Another St. Stephen, this time from Metz:

Metz, Imperial City, AR gros, after 1588 AD. Obv: ·S·STEPHA·+·PROTH·M; St. Stephen kneeling l. in prayer between two coats of arms, hand of God above. Rev: BNDICT·SIT·NOM·DNI·IHV·X; GROSSVS·METE; cross with four stars. 24mm, 2.13g. Rev: Flon p. 749.

And since I'm already here, here are some more medieval and early modern saints from my collection. St. Maurice:

Archbishopric of Magdeburg, under Albrecht von Käfernburg, bracteate penny, ca. 1220–1232. Obv: OICI – IVSDV; St. Maurice, nimbate and wearing armour, standing facing, holding cross and lance flag; below, church building with two towers and an arch; inside, cranium relic. Rev: negative design (bracteate). 23mm, 0.68g. Ref: Berger 1586; Slg. Hauswaldt 167; Slg. Bonhoff 712.


St. Gall:

Abbey of St. Gall, under Ulrich IV von Tegerfelden, AR bracteate, 1167-1199 AD. Obv: +MONETA•SANCTI•GALLI; bearded bust of St. Gall, with tonsure, facing. Rev: negative design (bracteate). 23mm, 0.46g. Ref: Berger 2568–9; HMZ 1-463; Slg. Bonhoff 1818; Slg. Wüthrich 273.

St. Kilian:

Bishopric of Würzburg, under Gottfried Schenk von Limpurg, AR schilling, 1443–1453. Obv: SANCTVS * KILIANVS *; St. Kilian, mitred and nimbate, standing facing with sword and crosier. Rev: +MON’ * ARGE’ * HERBIPOLENS’ *; shield (arms of the bishop). 25mm, 2.11g. Ref: Ehwald 5601.

St. Rupert:

Archbishopric of Salzburg, under Johann Ernst von Thun, AR 15 kreuzer, 1687 AD. Obv: S: RVDBERTVS (15) EPS: SALISB: 1687; St. Rupert sitting facing, holding salt box in r. hand and crozier in l. hand. Rev: IO: ERNEST9 D: G: ARCHIEP: SAL: S: A: L:; sexpartite shield with arms of Salzburg and Austria above, and the family arm of Johann Ernst von Thun below, under a cardinal’s hat. 27mm, 5.63g. Ref: KM 250; Zöttl 2007.

 

Thank you @Orielensis ! I was wondering about the symbolism of the 3 stones - very interesting. I like your bracteates in particular.

 

Our Lord and Savior rising from the tomb.

 

Obverse: Crowned round arms on Maltese cross
Oberse Legend: * CHVR. TR. LAND MUNZ *
Reverse: St. Peter with key and book in clouds, value below, circle surrounds all, date divided above
Reverse Legend: PETERMENGER 17 - 15 G III G (Gerhardt Godt)

Ruler: Karl Josef

Diameter: 22.9mm
Weight: 2.5g
Edge: Plain

Composition: Silver

 

St Wenceslas

 

A worn ST. SEBASTIAN shot through with arrows

Saint Sebastian (c. AD 256 – 288) was an early Christian saint and martyr. According to traditional belief, he was killed during the Roman emperor Diocletian's persecution of Christians. He was initially tied to a post or tree and shot with arrows, though this did not kill him. He was, according to tradition, rescued and healed by Saint Irene of Rome, which became a popular subject in 17th-century painting. In all versions of the story, shortly after his recovery he went to Diocletian to warn him about his sins, and as a result was clubbed to death (Wikipedia)

Germany Counts of OETTINGEN Joint Coinage Karl Wolfgang, Ludwig XV, Martin & Ludwig XIV Batzen 1523

 

St. John the Baptist getting beheaded

Italy TUSCANY Cosimo III Lira 1677

According to the Synoptic Gospels, Herod, tetrarch, or sub-king, of Galilee under the Roman Empire, had imprisoned John the Baptist because he reproved Herod for divorcing his wife (Phasaelis, daughter of King Aretas of Nabataea) and unlawfully taking Herodias, the wife of his brother Herod Philip I. On Herod's birthday, Herodias' daughter Salome danced before the king and his guests. Her dancing pleased Herod so much that in his drunkenness he promised to give her anything she desired, up to half of his kingdom. Her mother told her to ask for the head of John the Baptist on a platter. Although Herod was appalled by the request, he reluctantly agreed and had John beheaded in prison. The Feast of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist is on 29 August. (Wikipedia)


As a companion coin, here is the head of St. John the Baptist on a platter for presentation to Salome

MALTA Knights of St. John Pietro del Monte, Master 4 Tari n.d. (1566-72)

 

Saul (St. Paul)

 

St. Lebouin

Netherlands DEVENTER, CAMPEN, ZWOLLE -Joint Issue Daalder n.d. (1538)

Born in England, Lebuinus was a monk in Wilfrid's monastery at Ripon. He resolved to devote his life to the conversion of the Germans. After ordination, he proceeded in 754 to Utrecht, and was welcomed by Saint Gregory, acting bishop of that place, who entrusted him with the mission of Overijssel on the borders of Westphalia, His success aroused hostility among the pagans so he went to voice the claims of Christianity at the national assembly (Allthing) of the Saxons at Marclo (or Marklo) near the Weser (Northwestern Germany). He was so persuasive that they allowed him to preach unmolested in the territory allotted him. He is patron saint of Deventer where he was buried.

 

ST. JUSTINA

Italy VENICE Leonardo Donà Ducato (124 Soldi) n.d. (1606-12)

St. Justina was born in Padua (not far from Venice) to a noble family in the 1st (?) century. Her parents had converted to Christianity and, not having been had children up till then, received Justina in answer to their prayer. She was devoted to religion from her earliest years and ultimately took the vow of perpetual virginity. At this time arose the persecutions of the Christians by Nero and Maximian, the prefect of Padua, proved particularly brutal. As Justina would visit the prisons to comfort the Christians there, Maximian ordered her arrest. Brought before him, he was struck by her beauty and tried by every means to shake her constancy. However she remained firm and the prefect had her killed with a sword. The sword in her breast appears on the reverse of the coin.
Some accounts put St. Justina in the 4th century and say these events took place during Emperor Diocletian's persecution of the Christians in 304.

 

Germany Bishopric of PADERBORN Ferdinand II von Furstenberg Reichstaler 1663 with St. Meinolf on the reverse

St. Meinolf (c. 795- 857 ) was deacon and archdeacon of Paderborn and founded the Böddeken monastery, supposedly at a place where he saw a cross between the antlers of a stag.

 

Saint Leopold.

 

Here is Saint Maurice.

 

Anyone have a Saint Bridget of Ireland coin out there? Heck, I didn't even know she was from Ireland until the other day.

 

No St. Bridget, I am afraid, but here is another one of St.Lawrence with his grill

Germany City of WISMAR Emperor Leopold I Taler of 32 Schilling 1673

Pope Sixtus II ordained Lawrence in 257 and appointed him first or archdeacon of Rome, a position that included the care of the Church treasury and the distribution of alms to the poor. On the death of Sixtus, the prefect of Rome demanded that Lawrence hand over the Church treasure. He swiftly distributed as much as possible to the poor and then presented a delegation of the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the suffering as the true treasures of the Church.The angry prefect had Lawrence grilled on a great gridiron with hot coals beneath. After the martyr had suffered for a long time, he is supposed to have cheerfully declared: "I'm well done on this side. Turn me over!". From this St. Lawrence derives his patronage of cooks, chefs, and comedians.

 

Great story. Thanks.

 

ST. ANTONINUS of Piacenza

Italy BORGOTARO Sinibaldo Fieschi Testone n.d. (1520-24)

Very little is known about St. Antoninus of Piacenza. He is said to have been martyred at Piacenza or Travo in the 303 AD persecution of the Christians. He appears in Victricius' De Laude Sanctorum of the same century, and the somewhat later Martyrologium Hieronymianum. Sabinus of Piacenza established his sanctuary, following a rediscovery of the relics. Later he was mistakenly made one of the soldier martyrs of the Theban Legion. Piacenza's Basilica di Sant'Antonino bears his name. Borgotaro is 71 miles from Piacenza. (Wikpedia)