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1 Groschen - Frederick Ulrich
| Issuer | Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel |
|---|---|
| Year | 1619 |
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| Shape | Round |
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| Obverse lettering | FERD.II.R.I.S.A. |
| Reverse description | Central field displays the rampant lion of Brunswick within an inner circle, shown in a vigorous heraldic posture facing left with detailed mane and raised forepaws, surrounded by decorative foliate scrollwork filling the field around the inner circle. The peripheral Latin legend reads DEUS.PROUIDEBIT ('God will provide'), a characteristic pious motto employed by Duke Frederick Ulrich of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. A small rosette or floral stop separates the legend at the top. The flan is irregular with slightly uneven edges consistent with hand-struck hammered production. |
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| Additional information |
Frederick Ulrich's reign over Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel was one of the most administratively chaotic in the duchy's history — he was declared incompetent by the Imperial Chamber Court in 1622 and placed under guardianship, an almost unprecedented humiliation for a ruling prince. Coins struck in the years just before that ruling, including this 1619 groschen, were issued against a backdrop of collapsing ducal finances and the opening moves of the Thirty Years' War, which would ravage Lower Saxony within the decade.
At 0.65g, this piece sits at the lighter end of the small-denomination silver output from Wolfenbüttel, consistent with the widespread debasement practices of the Kipper und Wipper period beginning around this time.