Lichttaler
The Lichttaler is a thaler of Duke Julius of Braunschweig (1568–1589), which was minted from 1569 to 1587. It got its name from the coin image showing the wild man with a tree trunk in his left hand and a burning light in his right hand.
Coin-historical connections
The wild man was the typical coin image of the Guelph dukes and electors of Braunschweig-Lüneburg and the dukes of Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel . For the first time appears emblematic of the resin in the year 1539 on the thaler coins Duke Henry the younger of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (1514-1568). This is the father of Duke Julius, the mint who had the Lichttaler minted from 1569. These talers come from the Goslar mint , which has been in the Vitushof since 1552, which belonged to the Riechenberg monastery . The silver for the Lichttaler came from the Rammelsberg near Goslar.
The wild man, symbol of the Harz region and mountain spirit , the legendary figure of the Harz Mountains and embodiment of the power of nature, was initially depicted on the Lichttalers without an apron . The tree trunk, held at an angle in front of the hairy body, is supposed to conceal his property . On later Lichttalers, the wild man wears an apron made of oak leaves. He now holds the tree trunk vertically next to the body.
The meaning of the coin image with the wild man holding a burning light has not been proven. The burning light that is consumed fits the motto of Duke Aliis inserviendo consumor ("In the service of others I consume myself"). In Paul Zimmermann's article "Julius, Duke of Braunschweig and Lüneburg" (1881) a reference to the motto is mentioned in connection with the symbol on the talers.
"In recent years, severely plagued by stone pains, J. died on May 3, 1589. His excellent symbol [...] with the motto [...] had become the truth."
According to Paul Zimmerman, the Duke was "strict against himself, faithful in his duty, restlessly active, a nature more hardworking than ingenious".
The additional letters GVMG in the title inscription of most of Duke Julius' Lichttaler, which were interpreted as an abbreviation for “God's mistake must happen”, refer to his life up to the takeover of government, in which he himself did not believe.
As a young prince he fell from the table "because of the carelessness of his guardian". As a result, his right foot was so badly injured that he seemed unsuitable for chivalric exercises and, according to the views of his time, for taking over the government of a secular principality. His father therefore determined him to the clerical position. When his two older brothers perished in the battle of Sievershausen , he became heir to the throne . Because he chose Lutheran doctrine, he fell out of favor with his father. Julius fled to his brother-in-law, Margrave Johann, in Küstrin , but was called back in 1559 by his partially reconciled father. On June 11, 1568 he took office and introduced Lutheran teaching.
The assumption of government, which was considered extremely unlikely, is expressed in the legend on almost all of his light talers with the letters GVMG (God's oversight must happen).
Coin description
The in mint Goslar with the mint mark double cross embossed silver Lichtentaler are Reichstaler . Apart from numerous differences in detail, they were shaped in three basic variants, which are shown here in the pictures:
- Reverse with imperial eagle
- Front with two wild men holding shields
- Front with coat of arms without shield holder
The respective opposite sides show the Wild Man with the burning light in different versions.
Taler pieces are ½ and ¼ Lichttaler.
Taler from 1569
With his first type of light thaler, Duke Julius followed the regulation of the Augsburg Imperial Coin Order of 1559 with regard to the coin image for the mint. One side should therefore show the two-headed imperial eagle with the imperial orb on the chest, in which the value of the coin is indicated, as well as the inscription with the title of the emperor. The other side should show the coat of arms of the mint owner or mint stand with its usual legend and contain the year. However, he did without the coat of arms in order to be able to represent his symbol.
front
Striding wild man without an apron, with a wreath on his head. In his left hand he holds a tree trunk at an angle, in his right a candlestick with a burning light. The year number (15) 69 is divided. The double cross mint mark for the Goslar mint is included in the inscription.
- Outside inscription: IVLIVS ∙ DEI ∙ GR (atia) ∙ DVX ∙ BRVNSVICEN (sis) ∙ ET LVNEBVRG (ensis) ∙
- Translation: Julius by the grace of God, Duke of Brunswick and Lüneburg
- Inside inscription: ALIIS ∙ INSERVIENDO ∙ CONSUMOR ∙
- Translation: In the service of others I consume myself. (Motto of Duke Julius)
back
The reverse shows the double-headed, crowned and nimbly imperial eagle with an imperial orb on the chest, on which the number 24 (= 24 groschen ) is stamped.
- Inscription: MAXI - MILI (anus) ∙ - DE (i): GR (atia) ∙ - RO (manorum) ∙ IM - P (erator) ∙ S (emper): AV (gustus) ∙ The inscription is interrupted by four coats of arms .
- Translation: Maximilian by God's grace , always exalted Roman Emperor
Thaler from 1576
front
The front shows the helmeted ducal coat of arms with four fields and two wild men as shield holders, above the Sachsenross as part of the crest .
- Transcription: IVLIVS ∙ D (ei) ∙ G (ratia) ∙ DVX ∙ BRUN (svicensis) ∙ E (t) ∙ LV (neburgensis) ∙ G ∙ V - M ∙ G ∙
- Translation: Julius by the grace of God, Duke of Brunswick and Lüneburg
- The letters GVMG in transliteration are shortcuts and are most likely G Otte V seen M ust G esch address.
- Translation: Julius by the grace of God, Duke of Brunswick and Lüneburg
According to David Köhler, the letters are abbreviations with the interpretation "God (te) s Verseh (e) n must happen" or "God and my luck"
With "God's mistake (s) must happen", the duke wanted to indicate that, against all human thinking, he had come to government through the will of God. Others believe that the four mysterious letters should mean "God and my happiness" because the Duke said these words many times. "Von Praun adds," said v. Schulthess-Rechberg, “that the interpretation 'God's mistake must happen' is the correct one, as the Julius redeemers proved”. Julius solvers are silver foam coins that Duke Julius also had minted.
The mysterious letters in the Duke's title were thus unraveled.
back
Striding wild man without an apron with a sloping tree trunk in his left hand and a burning light in his right hand. The year 1576 is divided. The inscription contains the double cross mint mark for the Goslar mint.
- Transcription: ALIIS ∙ INSERVIENDO ∙ CONSUMOR ∙ (see before)
Taler from 1586
front
The front shows the triple helmeted heraldic shield with six fields, above it the Sachsenross as part of the crest.
- Transcription: IVLIVS ∙ D (ei) ∙ - ∙ G (ratia) ∙ D (ux) ∙ BR (unsvicensis) ∙ E (t) ∙ L (uneburgensis) ∙ GV - M - G (see translation above)
back
The wild man, here with an apron made of oak leaves, holds a vertical tree trunk in his left hand and a candlestick with a burning light in his right. The year 1586 is divided. The double cross mint mark for Goslar is in the legend (barely recognizable here).
- Transcription: ALIIS INSERVIENDO CONSUMOR (translation see above)
See also
- Goslar farmgroschen
- Air pump coins from the Goslar or Zellerfeld mints
- Schmalkaldic federal thaler from the federal mint in Goslar
- Truth thaler from the Goslar mint
- Mosquito thalers from the mint in Osterode am Harz and Goslar
literature
- Heinz Fengler, Gerd Gierow, Willy Unger: transpress Lexicon Numismatics. Berlin 1976.
- Christian Friedrich Hecht: Directory of a collection of extremely fine and rare medals and thalers. Leipzig 1784, p. 373: Lichttaler
- Helmut Kahnt: The large lexicon of coins from A to Z. Regenstauf 2005.
- Johann David Köhler : Coin amusement. Sixth part, Nuremberg 1734, p. XXXII
- Wolfgang Leschhorn : Brunswick coins and medals. 1000 years of coin art and monetary history in the city and country of Braunschweig. Appelhans Verlag, 2010, ISBN 978-3-941737-22-8 , p. 127 ff.
- Friedrich von Schrötter (Ed.) With N. Bauer, K. Regling , A. Suhle , R. Vasmer , J. Wilcke: Dictionary of coinage. de Gruyter, Berlin 1970 (reprint of the original edition from 1930)
- Karl Gustav von Schulthess-Rechberg: Thaler-Cabinet: Description of all known .... Volume 3, Issue 1, Munich 1862.
Individual evidence
- ^ Heinz Fengler, ...: transpress Lexikon Numismatics ..., p. 200: coined until 1587.
- ↑ Heinz Fengler, ...: transpress Lexikon Numismatics ..., p. 200.
- ^ Nicolaus Heutger, Viola Heutger: Lower Saxon religious houses and pens. Berlin 2009, p. 211: From 1539 talers with the wild man.
- ↑ coingallery: Darin u. a. from 1539 symbol of the Harz Mountains under Duke Heinrich the Younger of Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel.
- ^ Nicolaus Heutger, Viola Heutger: Lower Saxon religious houses and pens. Berlin 2009, p. 211: Vitushof
- ^ Paul Zimmermann : Julius, Duke of Braunschweig and Lüneburg . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 14, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1881, pp. 663-670.
- ^ Karl Gustav von Schulthess-Rechberg: Thaler-Cabinet: Description of all known .... Volume 3, Edition 1, Munich 1862, pp. 390/393: curriculum vitae and abbreviation
- ↑ Johann David Köhler: Münzbelustigung. Sixth part, Nuremberg 1734, p. XXXIII. In it Lichttaler from 1569 to 1587, variants are: With imperial eagle; Coat of arms with shield holder; Coat of arms without shield holder. (Coins of Duke Julius are: 1. Lichttaler, 2. Brillentaler, 3. Juliuslöser, 4. Burial thaler)
- ^ Walther Haupt: Sächsische Münzkunde. Deutscher Verlag der Wissenschaften, Berlin 1974. In it: Augsburg Imperial Coin Order 1559.
- ↑ Johann David Köhler: Münzbelustigung. Sixth part, Nuremberg 1734, p. XXXII, in it GVMG = “Gots Versehn must happen” or “God and my luck” is interpretation
- ^ Karl Gustav von Schulthess-Rechberg: Thaler-Cabinet: Description of all known .... Volume 3, Edition 1, Munich 1862, p. 392: G (ottes) V (ersehn) M (uss) G (eschehen) or G (ott) V (nd) M (ein) G (lück)
- ^ Münzkabinett Berlin: Braunschweig-Lüneburg, Julius (1568–1589), Duke of Braunschweig and Lüneburg, 5 Taler (Juliuslöser), 1576, in the legend: GOTTES VERSEHNN MVS DONE.
- ↑ Heinz Fengler et al .: transpress Lexikon Numismatics ..., p. 163.
