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1½ Thaler - John Frederick
| Issuer | Saxony (Ernestinian Line), Electorate of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1539 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
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| Reverse description | Elaborate quartered coat of arms of the Electorate of Saxony, surmounted by an electoral bonnet and flanked by two large ornate helmets bearing crests — a pair of buffalo horns and a swan with spread wings — above scrolling acanthus mantling. The shield displays the traditional Saxon arms with the distinctive crossed swords and barry divisions, rendered in fine detail. The composition fills the field within an inner beaded circle. The surrounding Latin motto legend SPES MEA IN DEO EST with the date 1539 is distributed around the periphery. |
| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
The 1½ Thaler denomination was never a natural unit of account — it existed almost entirely as a prestige striking, produced in limited numbers for gifts, diplomatic exchange, and the display cabinets of the powerful. John Frederick, Elector of Saxony and the leading Protestant prince of his generation, issued this piece just eight years before his catastrophic defeat at Mühlberg in 1547, where Charles V captured him personally on the battlefield and stripped the Ernestinian branch of the electorship entirely. The title on this coin would become, within a decade, legally void.