Images That Inspired The Mint Master

While the die design of the official circulating coins was subject to very strict rules, the design of tokens (jetons, rechenpfennige, rekenpenningen) enjoyed more freedom. Which leads automatically to the following question: what inspired the mint master and die engraver for a new piece? Numerous examples point to political situations, biblical scenes, epical stories, epical heroes. This summer I picked up a striking rechenpfennig from the great 17th century Nürnberg mint master Wolf Laufer II.



The brass piece has no date, weighs 4,63 g has a diameter of 26 mm.
The obverse shows the well known classical story of Icarus, the man who wanted to fly free as bird. The image is the moment Icarus crashes into the sea, because he went too high in the sky so that the heat of the sun melted away the wax that glued the big wings to Icarus back. It is a story about hubris, too high ambition and human modesty. But I found the Legend: IN ASTROLOGOS enigmatic.
The reverse shows a big bird of prey with an open beak fighting a beetle. The Latin legend explains what should be seen. A MINIMIS QVOQ TIMENDVM (Beware of the smallest foe). Below the signature of the master himself: WOLF.LAVFER RECH PFE

An internet search for the enigmatic IN ASTROLOGOS directly led an interesting website of the University of Glasgow "Alciato at Glasgow" containing 22 complete browsable emblem books from Andrea Alciato: https://www.emblems.arts.gla.ac.uk/...p?id=A21a104
Andrea Alciato (8 May 1492 - 12 January 1550), commonly known as Alciati (Andreas Alciatus), was an Italian jurist and writer. He is regarded as the founder of the French school of legal humanists. Below is a page from the first edition of Emblematum Libellus (1531) entitled IN ASTROLOGOS (translated as "Against astrologers"). The last sentences explain the message which applies to the time of the humanists:
Astrologus caveat quicquam praedicere. Praeceps nam cadet impostor dum super astra volat.
Let the astrologer beware of prediction. Headlong will the imposter fall, as he flies beyond the stars.



This fits well into one of the most profound cultural changes in Western civilization humanism, opposed to medieval occultism and superstition. From this start it was not too difficult to find the source of the reverse A MINIMIS QVOQ TIMENDVM. The same 1531 emblem book tells the story of the powerful big eagle and the small beatle, who wins the battle by infestation of the eggs in the eagles nest. The source of the story is the classic poet Aesop, Fables 4 "feud between the eagle and the beetle", rediscovered by the Dutch humanist Erasmus of Rotterdam, Adagia 2601, Scarabaeus aquilam quaerit (first published in 1500).
http://emblematica.grainger.illinoi...blem/A56a054.



The bottom line is that nothing is what it seems; the smallest foe can be overwhelming. The classic Greek story already recognized the powerful strategies of parasitism. Quite prophetic for human disease, centuries before the discovery of microbial parasites, pathogenic bacteria and viruses. Why Alciato chose this item in 1531 is an interesting topic of speculation. Perhaps the it applies to the emerging reformation in France. Below a picture of same emblem page in one the first editions, showing a beetle without horns. The preface of this edition is interesting, as there are connections to the mint and mint master (in bold - I wonder if Wolf Laufer II read those words):

While boys are entertained by nuts and youths by dice, so playing-cards fill up the time of lazy men. In the festive season we hammer out these emblems, made by the distinguished hand of craftsmen. Just as one affixes trimmings to clothes and badges to hats, so it behooves every one of us to write in silent marks. Though the supreme emperor may give to you, for you to own, precious coins and finest objects of the ancients, I myself shall give, one poet to another, paper gifts: take these, Konrad, the token of my love.



May be you have in your collection a token, medal or coin in which the die design could connect to the images and idea's of other emblem books. Or paintings, statues, engravings known to the mint master at his time. It would be wonderful if you post such items in this thread and fun to learn from the ideas of CCF members.

I take this opportunity to wish all CCF members a happy and healthy 2019 ! That moments of joy during the wonderful coin/medal/token collecting hobby may provide you with the ingredients of happiness.