Coin 'o the Day 3: 1624 Bavaria 2k

[JamminJ]

Here's another recent arrival. It's a 1624 two kreuzer from the German Duchy of Bavaria:

 

 

I've seen a few of these in my travels but many seem to suffer from poor centering si I'm happy to find one without that malady. Well struck with nice luster and a bit of rim toning. When forming the date they used a punch for "z" rather than a "2".

[syracusian]

Greg would dip this if he had the chance.

[gmarguli]

Yep, make it blast white and get it into a higher grade slab and then flip it on eBay for a big profit.

[syracusian]

 

 

I see you're close to 10000 posts, are you preparing a nice and expensive giveaway for this important moment of your life?

[gmarguli]

Sure, I can give one of my bodybagged coins away as a prize.

[JamminJ]

Everybody knows that original 350 year old silver coins should be blast white.

[syracusian]

This one definetely has the JJ look, but that's all I can tell about it,I don't even have a Krause for coins that old! A bit of historical info and your guess on its grade would be greatly appreciated.

[Norinn Radd]

Everybody knows that original 350 year old silver coins should be blast white.

 

aber natürlich

[JamminJ]

A bit of historical info and your guess on its grade would be greatly appreciated.

 

The big news of the day when this coin was struck was the raging of the Thirty Years War. This war went through several stages but was still in its opening act as a mostly internal German fight between the Catholic Emperor and his allies (including Bavaria) against his rebellious Protestant subjects.

 

In 1618 the elective Kingdom of Bohemia deposed their current king who also happened to be the Emperor, Ferdinand II. Bohemia replaced him with one of his rebellious princes, Frederick II, the Count Palatine of the Rhine. This annoyed the emperor to no end but unfortunately the main Imperial armies were busy fighting the Danes up in the North and could not be spared to reduce Bohemia to obedience. Until this time Bavaria, though nominally allied with Ferdinand, had remained mostly on the sidelines of the conflict. To induce them to active belligerence Ferdinand promised the Duke of Bavaria, Maximillian I that should he succeed in conquering Bohemia and the Rhine Palatinate he would transfer the Electoral Vote of the Count Palatine to him. Since there were only seven Imperial Electors and the electoral dignity was considered quite a prize off to war Bavaria went.

 

They succeeded in imposing a crushing defeat on Frederick's forces at the battle of the White Mountain in 1620 and later conquered the whole of the two rebellious territories. Frederick fled into exile where he remaind for the rest of his days. In due course the electoral vote was transferred "in perpituity" from the Rhine Palatinate to Bavaria in 1623. While the Imperial forces at this moment stood everywhere in triumph the transfer of the vote created a backlash. Since the transfer was of very dubious legality the two remaining Protastant electors, the Duke of Saxony and the Margrave of Brandenburg, fearful of their rights were inspired to new heights of resistance to the imperial forces. They invited Sweden to intervene in the conflict, which opened the next phase of the war. However, details of that will have to wait fo another post...

[syracusian]

Thanks for this informative reply, I had almost given up hope, but then I remembered how slow this forum is.

 

However, details of that will have to wait fo another post...

 

 

Along with another appropriate coin perhaps?

[JamminJ]

Thanks for this informative reply, I had almost given up hope, but then I remembered how slow this forum is.

 

 

Along with another appropriate coin perhaps?

 

Yes - but the coin has yet to be purchased.

[truthteller]

I like the history synopsis. I don't like the coin, though. You can keep this one.

 

 

 

 

TRUTH

[Philipeto-migration]

Sure, I can give one of my bodybagged coins away as a prize.

 

 

I wouldn't mind, actually.

[shirohniichan]

Thanks for this informative reply, I had almost given up hope, but then I remembered how slow this forum is.

 

 

Along with another appropriate coin perhaps?

 

Yes - but the coin has yet to be purchased.

 

Go ahead and buy the coin-- I want to read how this turns out.

[JamminJ]

Thanks for this informative reply, I had almost given up hope, but then I remembered how slow this forum is.

 

 

Along with another appropriate coin perhaps?

 

Yes - but the coin has yet to be purchased.

 

Go ahead and buy the coin-- I want to read how this turns out.

 

No problem. Just point me in the direction of a dealer who has one...

[1jester]

Fantastic luster on that coin, JJ!

 

The scars of the 30 years war are still evident in the Rhineland Palatinate today. I spent many years there as a child. Towns are still divided, and most towns are either Catholic or Protestant.