GERMAN STATES - HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE (962-1806) - FREE IMPERIAL CITY OF NUREMBERG (1219-1806)
PROTESTANT REFORMATION / THIRTY YEARS' WAR ERA (1618-1648)
SWEDISH OCCUPATION OF NUREMBERG (1632)
REIGN OF GUSTAV II ADOLPH OF SWEDEN (1611-1632) - HOUSE OF VASA
SWEDISH ISSUE GOLD TRADE DUCAT CERTIFIED BY NGC ABOUT UNCIRCULATED 58
OBVERSE: WITHIN INNER BEADED CIRCLE LAUREATE PORTRAIT BUST OF GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS RIGHT; OUTER LEGEND DIVIDED BY STAR MINTMARK AT TOP.
REVERSE: CROWNED ARMS OF SWEDEN WITHIN BEADED INNER CIRCLE; CROWN DIVIDES DATE CENTER AND ENCIRCLING LEGEND AT TOP.
KM # 120
FR # 1924
THE THIRTY YEAR'S WAR (1618-1648), ONE OF THE MOST DEVASTATING CONFLICTS EUROPE HAS EVER SEEN, RAGED THROUGHOUT GERMANY, AS CATHOLIC AND PROTESTANT FORCES VIED FOR SUPREMACY. GUSTAV II ADOLPH (GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS "THE GREAT") LANDED IN GERMANY IN 1630 TO ENTER THE WAR ON THE PROTESTANT SIDE. HE WAS THE FOUNDER OF SWEDEN AS A GREAT POWER, LED HIS COUNTRY TO MILITARY SUPREMACY, SHIFTING THE RELIGIOUS BALANCE OF POWER IN EUROPE, AND IS CONSIDERED ONE OF THE GREATEST MILITARY COMMANDERS OF ALL TIME.
IN 1631, GUSTAVUS LAID SEIGE TO AND CONQUERED FRANKFURT AN DER ODER, WAS VICTORIOUS AGAINST THE CATHOLIC IMPERIAL HABSBURG FORCES AT WERBEN AND AT THE BATTLE OF BREITENFELD.
IN 1632, AT THE BATTLE OF LECH (THE BATTLE OF RAIN) THE SWEDES NOT ONLY DEFEATED THE IMPERIAL ARMY, BUT THE COMMANDER OF THE CATHOLIC LEAGUE, COUNT TILLY, WAS SLAIN. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE SWEDISH KING ENTERED MUNICH. IN THE SUMMER OF 1632, THE IMPERIAL ARMY WAS REINFORCED AND REGROUPED AND MARCHED TO STOP THE SWEDISH ADVANCE. THE SWEDISH ARMY OCCUPIED THE IMPERIAL FREE CITY OF NUREMBERG. GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS SOUGHT THE REFUGE OF THE CITY RATHER THAN COMMIT HIS FORCES TO AN OPEN BATTLE WITH THE NOW NUMERICALLY SUPERIOR IMPERIAL ARMY UNDER COUNT ALBRECHT von WALLENSTEIN. THIS IS THE TIME WHEN THIS GOLD TRADE DUCAT WAS COINED IN NÜRNBERG WITH THE IMAGE OF THE SWEDISH KING. THE TACTICAL RETREAT WAS ANSWERED WITH AN IMPERIAL SEIGE OF THE TOWN. THE IMPERIAL PLAN WAS A SIMPLE ONE, INVEST THE TOWN AND WAIT FOR DISEASE AND HUNGER TO DEVASTATE THE SWEDISH RANKS. BOTH SIDES SUFFERED NEARLY 20,000 CASULATIES EACH FROM TYPHUS AND SCURVY AND BATTLE FATALITIES. THE TOWN INHABITANTS SUFFERED 10,000 DEAD. TO BREAK THE STALEMATE, GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS TRIED TO LIFT THE SEIGE WITH AN ATTACK ON THE IMPERIAL CAMP AT ALTE VESTE, BUT THE ATTACK ON THE STRONGHOLD WAS REPULSED AND MARKED THE FIRST SWEDISH DEFEAT OF THE WAR. THE SWEDISH ARMY RECEIVED REINFORCEMENTS AND EXECUTED A WITHDRAWL AFTER ELEVEN WEEKS OF SEIGE. THE IMPERIAL HOST MOVED NORTHWARD IN PURSUIT.
IN NOVEMBER OF 1632, GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS WAS KILLED IN BATTLE AT LÜTZEN LEADING A CAVALRY CHARGE. THE BATTLE WAS A PROTESTANT VICTORY, BUT ALLOWED THE HABSBURGS TO REGROUP AND RESTORE THEIR BALANCE. WITHOUT GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS TO LEAD THEM, THE GERMAN PROTESTANTS LOST THEIR UNIFYING DIRECTION AND SWEDEN'S ROLE IN THE WAR WAS DIMINISHED.
CONTAINS 3.5 GRAMS OF .986 FINE GOLD (.1109 OZ AGW)
24 MM IN DIAMETER
NUREMBERG MINT
MINT OFFICIAL HANS CHRISTOPH LAUER (1619-1639)
