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1 Solidus - Friedrich and Wilhelm Kettler Mitau, type 1
| Issuer | Duchy of Courland and Semigallia |
|---|---|
| Year | 1596-1601 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Central field features a crowned oval shield bearing the arms of Courland, superimposed upon a large ornate cursive monogram of the joint Dukes Friedrich and Wilhelm Kettler, rendered in an interlaced Renaissance style. The shield is surmounted by a ducal crown, and the entire device is encircled by a circular Latin legend separated by pellet stops. The date, rendered in abbreviated form, appears within the legend. The coin's edge is bordered by a beaded inner circle consistent with hammered coinage of the Baltic region in the late sixteenth century. |
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| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Courland's solidus coinage of this period reflects the joint rule that followed Gotthard Kettler's death in 1587, when his sons Friedrich and Wilhelm inherited the duchy under an arrangement that left both nominally in charge — a dynastic awkwardness that persisted until Wilhelm's eventual expulsion by the Polish-Lithuanian Sejm in 1616. Billon issues from small Baltic duchies of this decade circulated primarily as petty change within the local economy, and Mitau's output was modest enough that surviving examples in decent condition are genuinely scarce.