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2 Ducats - Christian I
| Issuer | Saxony (Albertinian Line), Electorate of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1587-1590 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round |
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| Reverse description | A bold Maltese cross dominates the entire reverse field, its splayed arms nearly reaching the coin's milled edge and creating four quartered compartments. Each quarter contains a distinct heraldic shield of arms associated with the Saxon Electoral territories: the barry of Hungary (upper left), the Thuringian lion (upper right), the Saxon barry with a bend (lower left), and the Meissen lion (lower right). The shields are rendered with fine detail and surrounded by decorative cartouche-style frames. The reverse carries no peripheral legend, the heraldic composition filling the design entirely. |
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| Mintage | 1587 - - 1590 - - |
| Additional information |
Christian I ruled Electoral Saxony from 1586 until his death in 1591, and his reign was dominated by the Crypto-Calvinist controversy that had been festering since the death of his father Augustus. He promoted Nikolaus Krell as chancellor and effectively steered Saxony toward Reformed theology, a politically dangerous maneuver in a staunchly Lutheran electorate. The backlash was severe enough that Krell was arrested immediately upon Christian's death and eventually executed in 1601.
The 1587–1590 dating of this issue places it squarely within that turbulent chancellorship. Dresden was the principal mint for Albertinian gold of this type.