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1/4 Thaler - John George I Centenary of the Reformation
| Issuer | Electorate of Saxony (Albertinian Line) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1617 |
| Type | Commemorative circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Full-length armored figure of Elector John George I of Saxony standing facing, wearing a plumed helmet and elaborately decorated armor, holding a sword upright in his right hand. The electoral coat of arms of Saxony is displayed on a shield at his feet. The divided date 16-17 appears in the lower field to either side of the shield. The abbreviated name IOH GEOR flanks the figure in the mid-field. The circumferential legend VERBVM DOMINI MANET IN ÆTERNVM runs within a beaded border along the coin's periphery. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
The 1617 Reformation centenary was a watershed moment for Lutheran propaganda coinage, with virtually every Protestant German territory rushing to issue commemorative pieces marking the hundred-year anniversary of Luther's Ninety-Five Theses. Saxony had particular claim to the occasion — Luther had operated under the protection of the Albertinian Wettins, and John George I was not about to let any rival court outmaneuver him in demonstrating confessional loyalty.
The sheer variety of dies produced across the Saxon mints for this single commemorative event has kept specialists cataloging variants for generations, with Whiting and Merse treating the series as distinct collecting fields in their own right.