18th and 19th Century fisherman faced many perils at sea. Storms, hurricanes, shallow water reefs, pirates, wrecks, being swept overboard, drowning, these and many more plagued fishermen and some of these are still problems. A successful trip out to sea meant coming home with the holds full of fish and alive, coming back with empty holds could be a disaster, not coming back at all could crush a community. Many men were lost chasing food and profit. Fishermen often took risks to ensure success. Many fishermen counted on the Lord and luck to help them through their journey. They did this through prayer and sometimes a talisman. These could be blessed or not, they could symbolize safety or a good harvest. This particular talisman is for safety at sea; the showthalter was struck sometime between 1680-1780 at the Hungarian mint in Kremnitz, this medal is a copy of a 5 ducat piece designed by Christian Herman Roth between 1645-1690. In fact, this design, copied from the 5 ducat piece, was the probable prototype for the Hungarian millennium issue struck in 1896 under Emperor Franz Joseph with the date just below the dragon, having a mintage of 100 pieces. The medal features St. George on the obverse on his warhorse slaying the dragon while a tiny figure kneels in prayer to the right of the horse's hoof and just below the S. The Latin inscription reads S (Sanctvs) Georgivs Eqvitvm Patronvs, or St George, Patron of Knights. St. George (ca. 275-April 23, 303) was a soldier in the Roman Empire and is venerated as a Christian Martyr. The reverse shoes a boat being tossed on a storm in the Sea of Galilee while the apostles try to wake Jesus who is sleeping in the boat as told in the Bible in Mark 4:36-41. The inscription reads In Tempestate Secvritas or Security in the Storm. While many of the medals were constructed of base metals, copper, or brass, this medal, weighing in at 24 gms is silver an 45 mm in diameter and had a loop attached to the medal for wear on a necklace or leather thong.
