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4 Mariengroschen - John Frederick
| Issuer | Brunswick-Lüneburg-Calenberg |
|---|---|
| Year | 1667-1673 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Standing figure of a wildman (Wilder Mann), depicted facing forward in the center of the field, holding an uprooted tree in his right hand, his body covered in foliage. The figure is rendered in the characteristic heraldic style of Brunswick coinage. A circular beaded border frames the design. The surrounding legend reads: GDVXBEL IOHAN FRIEDRICHD, identifying the issuing duke. |
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| Reverse description | Within a raised inner circle, the denomination is expressed in three lines: IIII above MARIE above GROS, with a small dot separating the numeral from the text above and below. The outer legend, separated by a beaded border, carries the motto EX DURIS GLORIA with the date 1668, affirming the ducal aspiration of glory through hardship. The overall layout is clean and well-centered, typical of milled Brunswick silver coinage of the period. |
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| Additional information |
John Frederick ruled Calenberg from 1665 until his death in 1679, a tenure defined largely by his conversion to Catholicism in 1651 — an extraordinary act for a Lutheran prince of the Holy Roman Empire that alienated much of his nobility and created persistent friction with the Estates throughout his reign. The 4 Mariengroschen denomination was a practical workhorse of Lower Saxon commerce, anchored to the Mariengroschen accounting system that had dominated regional trade since the fifteenth century.
Welter 1786 documents this type across a multi-year span, suggesting continuous demand rather than a single commemorative or administrative issue.