W. C a r e w H a z l i t t Coinage of the European Continent

Descriptive Outline of the Coinages of Europe 313
century, and in copper
still less the uniface hellers and
pfennigen of Comenz and a few other places, in or about
1622, representing all that we appear to have in the lowest
metal. We mention elsewhere the sophienducat of John
George I., 1616; and there is the vicariatducat of 1711
of Frederick Augustus I. and the last
; Elector, prior to his
elevation to the higher dignity, issued 5 and 10 thaler pieces,
some with, others without, the mark of value. At the
Reinmann sale in 1891, No. 208, the first gold ducat of the
new kingdom,
I 806, fetched 80 marks. 1 As far as the old
money is concerned, the great recoinage of 1692 inevitably
diminished its then existing volume.
The formation of this duchy dates back to 1485 but
;
within its limits, long prior to the partition of 1484-85,
several localities struck money both of bracteate
anc^
Weimar
other fabrics, and there are coins of the ancient
Counts of Weimar from the thirteenth century.
The municipal influence equally prevailed here, and the
towns and burgraves enjoyed direct concessions in many
instances from the Emperor. There are some interesting
and rare thalers of the sixteenth century, and it is
perhaps
worth while to note that struck (with the half) in 1763
by the Regent-Duchess Amalia, with her very charming
portrait
The earliest coinage of Coburg
is associated with the
Counts of Henneberg, of whose domain the town and its
precincts formed part. But the Margraves of
Coburg. Brandenburgh and Meissen also employed the
mint, and in fact the most ancient coins are those
of John, Margraf of Brandenburgh, about 1308. Several
other feudal dignitaries, both lay and ecclesiastical, are found
striking money at different points within the duchy the
:
Abbot of Nieuburg had a concession in 993 for a mint at
Hagenrode. The more modern -
grand duchy of Saxe-
Coburg-Gotha originated in 1680 through the division of the
estates of Ernest the Pious among his sons. A thaler of 1 764
1
At the same sale indeed the silver convention-gulden of 1 808 was carried to
200 marks.