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4 Thalers - Christian Louis Harz - Ausbeute - Löser
| Issuer | Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg-Celle |
|---|---|
| Year | 1657 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 115.83 g |
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| Obverse description | Central field dominated by an elaborate arrangement of nine heraldic shields representing the territorial claims and dynastic possessions of the Brunswick-Lüneburg house, disposed symmetrically around a crowned interlaced 'CL' monogram of Duke Christian Ludwig within a laurel wreath at center. The shields display the arms of Brunswick, Lüneburg, England, Scotland, Hungary, and other affiliated territories, rendered in fine relief. The circumferential legend reads SINCERE ET CONSTANTER, the ducal motto, separated by rosette stops, with the date and mint-master initials appearing in the lower field. The entire design is enclosed within a boldly beaded border typical of large-format Löser coinage of the mid-seventeenth century. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | SINCERE ET CONSTANTER ANNO 1654 CL 4 LW |
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| Additional information |
Ausbeute coinages — struck directly from mine-yield silver — were a deliberate political statement by the Brunswick-Lüneburg dukes, who controlled some of the richest ore deposits in the Harz Mountains and wanted that wealth made visible. The Clausthal and Zellerfeld mines were producing at peak output through the 1650s, and Christian Louis commissioned these heavy Löser pieces partly as presentation gifts to foreign courts, objects that communicated the duchy's mineral resources as plainly as any diplomatic dispatch.
The Löser format, struck at multiples far too large for ordinary commerce, was never intended to circulate. Most surviving examples show virtually no wear — not from careful preservation, but because they went directly from the mint into treasure cabinets.