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1½ Thaler - Ferdinand of Bayern
| Issuer | Bishopric of Münster |
|---|---|
| Year | 1638 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Within a square klippe field, a four-fold quartered oval coat of arms of Pfalz-Bavaria, richly ornamented, is displayed beneath a bishop's mitre. The shield is flanked by a crozier to the left and a sword to the right, representing ecclesiastical and temporal authority. The circular legend surrounding the design reads in Latin abbreviation. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Within the square klippe format, Saint Paul is depicted in half-left profile, holding a sword in his right hand and a book in his left, serving as the patron saint of Münster. Below the figure appears a detailed panoramic view of the city of Münster, with the date 1638 incorporated into the composition. The mint mark M and the engraver's initials EK are separated by an equals sign and appear on the fortress wall. The legend arcs across the upper portion of the field, identifying the patron of the diocese. |
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| Additional information |
Ferdinand of Bavaria held the see of Münster from 1612 until his death in 1650, simultaneously occupying the archbishopric of Cologne and several other northern German ecclesiastical territories — an accumulation of offices that made him one of the most politically powerful churchmen in the Empire. The 1½ Thaler denomination was never a workhorse of commerce; issues at this weight were produced for presentation, gift-giving among the nobility, or as Schaumünzen with quasi-medallic intent.
1638 falls squarely within the Thirty Years' War, with Westphalia itself badly disrupted by troop movements and occupation. That a piece of this size was struck at all that year reflects the bishop's determination to project fiscal authority under pressure.