Rudolf II
10/10/2011 link back up to main Chapter 262 Coins
Holy Roman Emperor
My 3rd solved mystery coin turns out to be a 1610 Rudolf II German Groschen or 1/24 Thaler from Schaumburg just north of Paderborn. Rudolf is sometimes referred to in history as Rudolf V, just to confuse things.
This fine example from Schaumburg show the similarities.
Rudolf II was in a long line of rulers in the House of Hapsburg who at various times ruled over various "countries" with changing political boundaries. This guy was Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire (mostly Germany), King of Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia (Czechoslovakia) and Archduke of Austria (upper and lower). There are hundreds to perhaps thousands of different coins produced from various places within this Empire so track down is difficult.
My coin front matches up with the interesting coat of arms of Lippe and Schaumburg-Lippe areas. You can find symbols for the shield, pointed star, Tudor rose flower, torches, bird, spears, cornucopia, flags, and helmets with wings. The winged plumed helmets were used by the Polish Lithuanian Hussars so as to appear more scary in combat. The reverse includes the orb (Crown with cross, globus crucieger - Christ ruler of world ), and 2 crossed flags.
King Rudolf II was a little controversial and ambivalent about religion but still wanted to have his own Crusade, so he had a half hearted one against the Ottoman Turks from 1593-1606. Deviant gay incest. My connection with the King is that we both visited Regensburg. He for his coronation, K & I for a gasthaus sleep over and lunch with a German busdriver on the Platz de.
Coin track down
The breakthrough was finding Medievalcoinage.com and the Saurmache Collection of a German aristocrat on line that spanned the 13th to 17th centuries and assembled 100 years ago. Tedious but I'll probably get more...
Schaumburg
Best Match
: click Muenster Map : click Schaumburg click the silver # 1702 of Schaumburg . Count Ernst of Schaumburg (in Pinneberg) ruled 1601-1622.
Obverse: My legend EDGC ESESD, I guess is some sort of abbreviation for Ernest Dei Gratis Count, Ernest of Schaumburg Ensest of Schaumburg Director, Count Simon VI died in 1613 . It is similar the legends of this series from Ernst : ESES, ERNES, EDGCSESD, EDGCSESD, ERNE D G C HOL SESDIG, EDGC HSED.
Reverse: AV 2 crossed flags, crown, RVDOL II ROIM-SE- Augustavas 2 Kings Rudolf II ROman IMperor-SE?-orb with 24= crown of Austria with king's cross above, date above 10 - 10 = 1610
Notes: Groschen, Wappen m. 3 helmen. Rs: Reichsapfel m.24=denomination groschen, coat of arms (mit) with 3 helmets, Reverse: orb (mit) with 24
Schaumburg-(Pinneberg) 1603 1/24Thaler nice example
The German 6 is much like a zero with just a little line at the top.
Schaumburg- Lippe: not an exact match but very close:
Coat of Arms nicely displayed for 1865.
Near Match: click Muenster Map : click Schaumburg click #1701 21mm (mine 22) groschen (has the RVDOLF in 1602)
[ also similar Schaumburg #1702 , a Schaumburg #1696, a Lippe #1686 Simon VI, and Lippe 1608 1/24 Thaler ]
Count Simon VI (1563-1613) was the ruler of Lippe in 1610.
German States Information
historical maps of Germany , the16th century map
The German States were a confederation of independent areas under the Holy Roman Empire before Germany was Germany.
States of the Holy Roman Empire :
Westphalia Circle : these 3 are closely tied, (but also previous connection with Hessen, Holstein and Schwalenberg)
Lippe principality : 1123-1918 Furstentum-Lippe coat of arms (was Lippe- Detmold), Lippe district and Lippe City history and Lippe free state and House of Lippe and Lippe brief hist
Schaumburg : 1110-1640
Schaumburg-Lippe 1643-1918 coat of arms horseshoe with star, wings (and Grafschaft (Fürstentum) Schaumburg-Lippe Arms)
Schleswig-Holstein District (150 miles north where Count Ernst used to reside, but ruled over Schaumburg)
Pinneberg_(district) and Pinneberg :
.