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Replies: 7,432 / Views: 402,014 |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12057 Posts |
Another Brandenburg 1/12 Thaler, this one from 1683. The original envelope indicates its owner at that time paid 25 cents for this coin in April 1955. It's a bit more expensive now, but still probably less so than inflation would allow for.   
Member ANA - EAC - TNA - SSDC - CCT #890 "Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done." -- Louis D. Brandeis
Edited by paralyse 12/24/2020 01:40 am
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
7994 Posts |
That's pretty neat, @paralyse. I'll take a break from my Polish szostaks with this 1682 Salzburg 1/2 thaler commemorative (never took my own photo for some reason) 
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Moderator
 United States
34506 Posts |
Absolutely stunning 1/2 Thaler @tdz. Here is a 6 Groschen from Poland dated 1682 AD:  
"If you climb a good tree, you get a push." -----Ghanaian proverb
"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed." -----King Adz
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Pillar of the Community
 Sweden
2124 Posts |
Lovely silver, all of you! And yes, that ½ thaler @tdziemia, wow!  Nothing from me until the 1660s ... 
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12057 Posts |
Now that's a very interesting commemorative issue.
The obverse and reverse are a scaled-down rendition of the 5 Ducat Gold issue of Prince-Archbishop Maximilian Gandolf, Reichsgraf von Kuenburg, a common practice for Gedenkmünze (commemorative issues)
On the reverse we see The Most Holy (Sanctissimus or "SS") St. Martin(us), Bishop ("EPiscopus") of Tours, and at his side ("translati") are the martyred Saints Vincenti(us) of Saragossa, Hermes, and the odd couple Chrysanth(us) and Daria.
The aforementioned martyrs all had shrines or tombs at the Catacomb of Priscilla on the Roman route known as the Via Salaria, an important Adriatic trade route for the salt mines. This ties into Salzburg which was the center of salt production and trade on the River Salzach.
The symbol which looks like a 9 or an apostrophe is the abbreviation for the Latin ending "us."
von Kuenburg is probably best known for the Counter-Reformation incident which would take place two years later in 1684 when he expelled ~650-700 Protestants from the Defereggen Valley, a rather nasty bit of religious intolerance provoked by the alleged Protestant harassment of a seller of Catholic "holy tokens" or devotional medals. Those expelled were forced to leave in the dead of winter. Their possessions were seized and heavily taxed; their minor children were forced to remain behind and convert to Catholicism, and the taxes levied against their parents' holdings were used to pay for the children's "conversion."
Spoiler: it didn't work out so well for Austria. The final mass expulsion in 1731 sent 30,000 or more Protestants away, many to East Prussia, where they were warmly received by Frederick William I. The influx of immigrants allowed Frederick and later his son to repopulate East Prussia and rebuild the Prussian armies, in addition to providing economic benefits from taxation and tithes. A resurgent Prussia ultimately wrested control of Silesia away from the Habsburg Austrians during the War of the Austrian Succession.
Member ANA - EAC - TNA - SSDC - CCT #890 "Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done." -- Louis D. Brandeis
Edited by paralyse 12/24/2020 5:55 pm
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
7994 Posts |
@paralyse, great historical notes! There is a thaler with the same design, as well as the ducat you mention. My understanding of some of the religious symbolism(s): 1. From the obverse inner legend, the coin is meant to celebrate 1100th anniversary of the founding of the archbishopric of Salzburg "VNDECIMO SECVLO ... FVNDATI ARCHIEPTV SAL". Later historians would figure out this was off by about 200 years, but I'm not quibbling since the result was a pretty spectacular coin. 2. The meaning of "TRANSLATI" reverse may be ambiguous, or a double entendre. "Translation" was the official churchy term for the movement of a saints relics from one place to another. The Salzburg cathedral contains the relics of all of the pictured saints (as well as many others ...). Hence, this could also have been an homage to the saints whose relics had been brought ("translated") to the cathedral. The connection you mention to the Via Salaria answers a question I had wondered: why THESE saints? 
Edited by tdziemia 12/24/2020 9:53 pm
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Moderator
  United States
192314 Posts |
Quote: I'll take a break from my Polish szostaks with this 1682 Salzburg 1/2 thaler commemorative (never took my own photo for some reason) A lovely coin! 
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
6732 Posts |
1681 Bishopric of Salzburg 3 Kreuzer  
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12057 Posts |
@tdz I agree with your assessment. The Salzburger Dom does have the relics. And the use of "translati" does have both secular and religious meanings as you noted. I cannot infer intent but the double entendre is definitely interesting.  
Member ANA - EAC - TNA - SSDC - CCT #890 "Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done." -- Louis D. Brandeis
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Pillar of the Community
United States
9395 Posts |
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Moderator
 United States
34506 Posts |
Here is a 6 Groschen from Poland dated 1681 AD:  
"If you climb a good tree, you get a push." -----Ghanaian proverb
"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed." -----King Adz
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
7994 Posts |
@keith, Wow! Gorgeous Salzburg coin! For 1681 I have another Polish szostak, similar to @spence's. Mine is Krakow mint Kop.1955 (@spence's Bydgoszcz mint, Kop.1953):  
Edited by tdziemia 12/25/2020 9:48 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
9395 Posts |
1680 -- city of Magdeburg, 1/24 thaler:  
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
7994 Posts |
Poland, 1680 szostak:  
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Moderator
 United States
34506 Posts |
Here is a 1/24 Thaler from the German State of Saxony dated 1680 AD:  
"If you climb a good tree, you get a push." -----Ghanaian proverb
"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed." -----King Adz
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Replies: 7,432 / Views: 402,014 |