GERMAN STATES - HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE (962-1806) - ELECTORATE OF SAXONY (UPPER SAXONY) (1356-1806)
REIGN OF ELECTOR/DUKE JOHANN GEORG I (1611-1656) - HOUSE OF WETTIN (ALBERTINE LINE)
TREMENDOUSLY RARE GOLD MEDALLIC FOUR DUCAT / EXTRA FINE DETAILS
OBV: WITHIN BEADED CIRCLE A CROSSED SPADE AND SWORD WITH OPEN BOOK/BIBLE WITH LATIN INSCRIPTION ON PAGES ABOVE; COMMUNION CHALICE RESTS ON BIBLE WITH COMMUNION HOST SUSPENDED ABOVE; RADIANT SUN TOP WITH "IHS" CHRISTOGRAM (IESUS HOMINUM SALVATOR) FLANKED BY PALM BRANCHES; WHEAT FIELD RIGHT AND OVAL SHIELD LEFT; SURROUNDING LATIN LEGEND "STRENA AUSPICII ANNI CHRISTI DICATA (NEW YEAR'S GIFT OF THE AUSPICES OF CHRIST DEDICATED AT THE SOLSTICE)" WITH ROMAN NUMERAL DATE "M.DCXXXXIIII (1544)" AND ROSETTE AT TOP.
REV: WITHIN RADIANT CIRCLE A TRIANGLE OR PYRAMID WITH NAME JEHOVAH WRITTEN IN HEBREW LETTERS; SURROUNDING OUTER AND INTERIOR GERMAN LEGEND "GOTT GIB FRIED IN DEINEM LANDE GLUCK (GOD GRANT PEACE AND HAPPINESS TO SERVE THE COUNTRY)" "UND STANDE HEIL ALLEM (AND SALVATION TO ALL ESTATES)"CROSSED AT STEM TWO PALM BRANCHES DIVIDES INTERIOR LEGEND AT TOP AND ROSETTE DIVIDES OUTER LEGEND AT TOP.
THE RULERS OF SAXONY, MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF WETTIN, SINCE 1423 HAD BEEN ELECTORS OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE.
UNDER THEIR RULE, SAXONY BECAME ONE OF THE LARGEST AND MOST POWERFUL STATES IN CENTRAL EUROPE.
UPON THE DEATH OF THE ELECTOR FREDERICK II IN 1464, WETTIN LANDS WERE DIVIDED BETWEEN HIS TWO SONS CREATING TWO SEPARATE LINES OF THE SAME FAMILY, THE ERNESTINE (NAMED FOR ERNEST) LINE AND THE ALBERTINE (NAMED FOR ALBERT) LINE.
THE GREATER DIGNITY FELL TO THE ERNESTINE BRANCH, AND ONE OF ITS MEMBERS, DUKE FREDERICK THE WISE (1463-1525), HARBORED AND WAS PATRON TO THE MONK MARTIN LUTHER, AND IS HENCE, GREATLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REFORMATION.
DURING THE SCHMALKALDIC WAR (1546-1547), THE ERNESTINE DUKE WAS CAPTURED BY THE EMPEROR CHARLES V, AND THE ELECTORATE WAS GIVEN TO HIS ALBERTINE COUSIN.
JOHN GEORGE I BECAME ELECTOR UPON THE DEATH OF HIS BROTHER IN 1611. BOTH HE AND SAXONY WERE CENTRAL TO THE DEVASTATING CONFLICT OF THE THIRTY YEARS' WAR (1618-1648). SAXONY'S GEOGRAPHY, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WARRING GERMAN STATES, MADE IT A BATTLE GROUND, AND JOHN GEORGE I, AS LEADING PROTESTANT RULER IN THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE, WAS IN IMPORTANT STANDING AMONGST THE LUTHERAN PRINCES.
WHEN THE WAR BROKE OUT, SAXONY'S ELECTOR TRIED TO REMAIN NUETRAL, BUT AS THE CONFLICT ESCALATED, AND IMPERIAL POLICY EVIDENCED ITSELF TO THE ELIMINATION OF PROTESTANTISM, HIS ALLIANCE TO THE HABSBURG EMPEROR FALTERED. WHEN SAXONY WAS INVADED BY AN IMPERIAL ARMY UNDER COUNT TILLY, THE DUCHY JOINED THE PROTESTANT LEAGUE LED BY GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS OF SWEDEN.
AFTER INITIAL TERRITORIAL CONCESSIONS BY THE EMPIRE, JOHN GEORGE DECLARED WAR ON SWEDEN IN 1536, AND THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE WAR SAXONY WAS RAVAGED FROM AND BY BOTH SIDES.
THIS MEDAL, NO DOUBT, WAS STRUCK IN THE HOPE THAT, IN 1544, PEACE WOULD BE GRANTED TO A WAR TORN AND DEVASTATED KINGDOM. SIMILAR MEDALS OF SPECIAL PERSONAL SIGNIFICANCE TO THE SOVEREIGN WERE STRUCK IN GOLD AS PRESENTMENTS TO IMPORTANT PERSON BY VARIOUS ELECTORS. THIS PARTICULAR PIECE IS AN AMAZING TESTAMENT TO THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION AND THE THIRTY YEARS' WAR THAT FOLLOWED IT.
IN 1545, JOHN GEORGE I WOULD FINALLY MAKE A TRUCE WITH THE SWEDES AND SIGN THE PEACE OF WESTPHALIA, ENDING SAXONY'S INVOLVEMENT IN THE THIRTY YEARS' WAR.
13.7 GRAMS OF GOLD OF .986 FINE GOLD (.4343 OZ AGW)
35 MM IN DIAMETER
PREVIOUSLY MOUNT REMOVED
