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5 Ducats - John George I and August
| Issuer | Saxony (Albertinian Line), Electorate of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1614 |
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| Shape | Round |
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| Obverse description | Armored half-length bust of John George I facing right, wearing elaborately engraved plate armor with ruff collar and holding a sword over his right shoulder; the date 16-14 is divided to either side of the figure in the inner field. A palm branch appears to the right of the bust. The legend surrounding the effigy reads IOHAN : GEORG : D : G : D : S ° I ° – CL • E • M : SA : R : I : ARCHIM • E :, referencing his titles as Duke of Saxony and Arch-Marshal of the Holy Roman Empire. The design is contained within a beaded inner border with the legend running along the outer rim in a fine hammered style characteristic of early seventeenth-century Saxon goldsmith work. |
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| Reverse description | A bold ornate cross pattée occupies the central field, rendered in high relief with a rope-like decorative border along its arms and a pellet at the center junction. The cross is set within a plain inner circle, itself surrounded by an elaborate border composed of alternating heraldic shields — displaying the arms of the Saxon electorate and associated territories — arranged continuously around the entire circumference in the hammered style typical of early Wettin dynastic coinage. The reverse bears no legend, the heraldic border serving as the sole identifying element and reflecting the joint rule of John George I and his brother August. |
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| Additional information |
This five-ducat piece commemorates the co-regency arrangement between Elector John George I and his older brother August, Duke of Saxony-Merseburg — a dynastic configuration that existed only briefly before August's death in 1615 effectively ended the need for the joint issue. The Dresden mint produced these in very limited quantities, as large multiple-ducat pieces of this kind were struck primarily for presentation purposes rather than commercial exchange.
The Albertinian electoral court had a strong tradition of commissioning heavy gold multiples for diplomatic gifts and courtly ceremony. Surviving examples almost never show circulation wear for precisely that reason.