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1 Schilling - John IV Alchimysta and Albert Achilles
| Issuer | Brandenburg-Franconia |
|---|---|
| Year | 1441-1464 |
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| Composition | Silver |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A boldly rendered Brandenburg eagle displayed facing, with wings spread and head turned to the right, depicted in the vigorous Gothic style characteristic of Franconian coinage of the mid-15th century. The eagle occupies the full central field within a beaded inner circle. A Gothic uncial marginal legend runs continuously around the outer field. The flan is irregular and slightly clipped at the edge, consistent with hammered silver production of the period. |
| Reverse script | Latin (uncial) |
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| Additional information |
John IV "the Alchemist" earned his nickname not from mystical pursuits but from chronic fiscal desperation — he repeatedly debased the coinage of Brandenburg-Franconia to service debts accumulated through failed military and dynastic ventures. Issues struck jointly under his name and that of his younger brother Albert, who would later earn the epithet "Achilles" for his military prowess, reflect the uneasy co-administration of the Hohenzollern Franconian territories during the 1440s through 1460s. Albert eventually forced John into formal abdication of his share of the marquisate in 1457.
The joint attribution on this schilling spans a period when die consistency across Franconian mints was notably poor.