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1 Fürstengroschen 12 Pfennig - George of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
| Issuer | Bishopric of Minden |
|---|---|
| Year | 1561-1565 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 2.22 g |
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| Obverse description | Central field displays the quartered arms of the Bishopric of Minden combined with the heraldic devices associated with Bishop George of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, surmounted by a crowned helm with crest. The escutcheon is flanked by ornamental foliate mantling in the Renaissance style typical of mid-sixteenth-century German episcopal coinage. A circular Latin legend runs along the periphery of the coin, interrupted by the crown and crest at the top. The die-work is characteristic of hammered groschen production from the Minden Mint. The fields show the irregular surfaces and slight weakness of strike common to hand-hammered pieces of this period. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | G A B C M V D B E L 6 1 |
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| Additional information |
The Bishopric of Minden occupied an awkward position in mid-sixteenth century Lower Saxony — a Catholic ecclesiastical territory increasingly surrounded by Protestant powers, with the Reformation making steady inroads into its own administrative structure. George of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, from whom this coin takes its name, was a member of the House of Welf and served as coadjutor bishop during a period when Minden's independence was effectively being negotiated away piece by piece. The Fürstengroschen denomination itself was a regional adaptation of the groschen system, tariffed at 12 Pfennig to fit local exchange conventions in the Westphalian monetary zone.
Minden would formally pass to Brandenburg in 1648 under the Peace of Westphalia, ending its run as an independent ecclesiastical issuer entirely.