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1/2 Thaler - Gábor Bethlen
| Issuer | Transylvania, Principality of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1627 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | Crowned quartered shield bearing the arms of Transylvania: in the first quarter a demi-eagle displayed; in the second quarter the sun and moon of Transylvania; in the third quarter the Székely sun symbol; and in the fourth quarter seven stars representing the Saxon cities, with a smaller escutcheon at center. The date 1627 appears above the crown, and the mintmark NB (Nagybánya) is visible to the right of the shield. A Latin legend encircles the composition within a beaded border referencing Bethlen's additional titles as Prince of the Holy Roman Empire and Count of the Székelys. |
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| Additional information |
Bethlen issued this half thaler during the final years of his reign, a period when Transylvania functioned as the primary Protestant power in the Carpathian basin and a reliable ally of the anti-Habsburg coalition. His minting program was deliberate policy — steady silver coinage underwrote military campaigns and diplomatic credibility simultaneously. By 1627, the Peace of Pozsony had already curtailed some of his earlier territorial gains in Royal Hungary, and the treasury was working hard to maintain the fiscal machinery that had funded three separate incursions westward.
Huszár E#406 and Resch#417 treat this as a single type, though minor die variations exist across the 1627 output from the Hermannstadt and Karlsburg mints.