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1 Thaler - Gotthard Kettler
| Issuer | Courland and Semigallia, Duchy of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1575-1576 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Orientation | Variable alignment ↺ |
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| Obverse description | Central shield bearing the quartered arms of Courland and Semigallia, surmounted by a ducal crown, with the royal monogram of Stefan Batory (SB) displayed at the center of the quartering. The shield is set within an elaborate Renaissance cartouche with foliate ornamentation. A circular beaded border encloses the design, with the ducal title legend running along the outer periphery in Latin letters. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Gotthard Kettler was the last Master of the Livonian Order before its dissolution, and the first Duke of Courland and Semigallia — a title he secured in 1561 by submitting to Polish-Lithuanian suzerainty rather than face absorption by expanding Muscovite forces. These thalers, struck across 1575 and 1576, come from the early consolidation of his duchy, a jurisdiction carved from the wreckage of the Livonian Confederation after the catastrophic defeats of the Livonian War. Kettler ruled until 1587, but coinage from his reign is sparse, and the 1575–76 thaler issues represent the most substantial silver production associated with his name.