Catalog
1 Goldgulden
| Issuer | Lüneburg, City of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1548 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Gold (.900) |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Full-length frontal figure of St. John the Baptist standing, holding the Lamb of God before him, with a small shield bearing a lion rampant to the left positioned between his feet. The saint is rendered in a late-medieval Gothic style typical of German municipal gold coinage. The surrounding legend is inscribed in Gothic lettering within a beaded border. The figure occupies the full height of the inner field. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Imperial orb surmounted by a cross set within a pointed trefoil, the orb divided horizontally and depicted in relief at the centre of the design. The trefoil frame, characteristic of Rhenish-style Goldgulden coinage, is rendered with pointed lobes. The surrounding circular legend records the titles of Emperor Charles V in Latin, with the date 1548 integrated into the legend. The entire design is enclosed within a beaded inner border. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Lüneburg's wealth in the sixteenth century rested almost entirely on salt — the city controlled the Lüneburg Heath saltworks, among the most productive in northern Europe, and that revenue underpinned the right to strike gold. This gulden was issued just as the city's mining infrastructure was beginning its long structural decline; the salt deposits were causing catastrophic ground subsidence that would eventually swallow entire neighborhoods.