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1 Dreier - John George I
| Issuer | Saxony (Albertinian Line), Electorate of |
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| Year | 1641-1654 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round |
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| Obverse description | Three small ornate heraldic shields arranged in a triangular configuration, one above two, displaying the arms of Electoral Saxony. The date is divided by the uppermost shield, with the mintmaster's initials (CR) appearing in the lower field beneath the two flanking shields. The design is executed in the baroque style characteristic of mid-17th century Saxon coinage. |
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| Reverse description | Imperial orb surmounted by a cross, enclosing the denomination numeral, set within an elaborate baroque decorative frame composed of foliate and scrollwork ornaments. The orb symbolizes Holy Roman Imperial authority and serves as the principal reverse type for this series of small Saxon silver coinage. |
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| Additional information |
John George I's long reign produced an extraordinary volume of small silver coinage, and the Dreier — worth three pfennigs — was among the most heavily circulated denominations in the Saxon monetary system. The Albertinian line had consolidated control of the Electoral dignity after the Ernestine branch forfeited it following the Schmalkaldic War in 1547, and by the mid-seventeenth century Dresden's mints were operating under severe strain from the financial demands of the Thirty Years' War. John George I's controversial alliance-switching during that conflict, ultimately siding with the Emperor after initially resisting, had direct consequences for Saxon fiscal policy and mint output throughout the 1640s.
The KM#385.3 designation distinguishes this from earlier Dreier varieties of the reign by die characteristics catalogued by Kohl.