Catalog
1 Ducat - Frederick II
| Issuer | Duchy of Liegnitz-Brieg (Silesia) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1544 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Hammered |
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| Obverse description | Bearded and armored bust of Duke Frederick II facing right, rendered in high relief in the hammered style, with detailed plate armor visible at the truncation. The effigy is contained within a beaded inner circle, with the ducal Latin legend distributed around the periphery, punctuated by floral stops. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Frederick II ruled Liegnitz-Brieg during a period of intense confessional upheaval in Silesia — he was among the earliest Silesian dukes to formally embrace Lutheranism, doing so in the 1520s, which put him in direct tension with his Habsburgsuzerain. Ducats of this duchy circulated widely in the regional trade network connecting Silesian mining towns to Bohemia and Poland, often crossing borders that their issuers were politically forbidden to ignore.
The Fusilier-Slodki reference places this among a small documented group of mid-century Liegnitz-Brieg gold issues whose survival rate is substantially lower than contemporary Silesian silver. Frederick died in 1547, making 1544 production a late-reign piece.