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1/3 Thaler - Joseph Clemens of Bayern
| Issuer | Archbishopric of Cologne |
|---|---|
| Year | 1693 |
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| Value | ⅓ Thaler |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Draped and armored bust of Archbishop Joseph Clemens of Bavaria facing right, wearing a long curled periwig in the Baroque style. The effigy is rendered in high relief with elaborate detail on the lace cravat and cuirass. A beaded inner circle frames the bust, with the Latin legend distributed around the periphery. The inscription abbreviates his full titles as Archbishop of Cologne, Prince-Elector of the Holy Roman Empire, and Duke of Bavaria. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Joseph Clemens of Bavaria was appointed Archbishop of Cologne in 1688 at age seventeen through naked Wittelsbach dynastic maneuvering, over the elected candidate Wilhelm Egon von Fürstenberg — a decision contested so bitterly that Louis XIV occupied Bonn in support of the French-backed Fürstenberg faction. The resulting War of the Grand Alliance left the Electorate in French hands until 1690, meaning Joseph Clemens only took physical possession of his see three years before this coin was struck.
The Noss reference for Cologne ecclesiastical coinage remains the specialist standard for attributing these fractional thalers, where die marriages between obverse and reverse are frequently mismatched across the series.