The "Teutonic" obol historyIn the year 1429 the Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund commanded to sent one contingent of Teutonic Knights, under the command of Nicolaus von Redwitz to the southern borderlines of Christian Europe. He had the task of strengthening the border which ran through the Danube and was continuously harassed by Turkish attacks. The Teutonic Knights had taken over several castles, and Nicolaus von Redwitz sent precise reports on the state of their maintenance and the size of the castles' crews to the Grand Master.
The Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund
The land which was taken over by the Teutonic Order is located in the south-western part of Wallachia and bears the name Severin. The Teutonic Commander receivd the title "ban"; (which means "the local administrator") of Severin. In the Prinicpality of Wallachia the superior authority was wielded by the voivode Dan II, and although his authority was interrupted by several internal diputes, the period of his rule is generally estimated at 1420-1431. In those years, with the consent of Emperor Sigismund, Dan II minted coins for the Principality of Wallachia.
Dan II of Wallachia
The coin which I want to show you was minted in the mint in Hermannstadt (today it is Sibiu). Plenty of numismatists (eg. Neumann or Laszlo) claim that this coin is the Teutonic Orders coin (and thus connected with Nicolaus von Redwitz and with the Grand Master Paul von Russdorf).
The Grand Master of the Teutonic Order Paul von Russdorf
The recent research of the National Museum of Romania and the Cabinet of the Romanian Numismatic Academy unquestionably linked this coin to Dan II. But there is one detail which differs this coin from the other Wallachian coins - the reverse with a cross in the shield absolutely identical as those on the Teutonic coins. It is very likely that the extraction of that coin - though not directly by the Teutonic Order - and borrowing the Orders symbolism by the voivod which ruled over Wallachia is some kind of invitation, gesture or confirmation of the validity of the mission. At the same time the Teutonic Knights, attached to their own money in Prussia and Livonia received the coin with their own symbolism as momentous event. Looking from such angle at this coin, its connection with the Teutonic Order is uncontested.
In the year 1434, the last Teutonic castle on the Danube (Orschowa, Orsua, Orswa) fell down and a few Teutonic Knights who survived, leaved Severin forver. 10 years later John Hunyadi retreated right to this castle after the defeat of Christian Forces in Varna...
Informations (after my translation)
from:
http://www.klaser.pl/modules.php?na...ticle&sid=35
and photos from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigism...oman_Emperor
http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pawe%C...on_RussdorffHere's my coin:
Av: A cross in the shield, over it a crown; letters(?)
Rev: A person holding a cross
Posted 12/10/2008 6:06 pm
