The Most Beautiful: Coins and Medals in the WeltenMuseum Hannover
Curator Dr Sebastian Steinbach: “This piece is one of my favourite objects because…”
10Great Britain, kingdom. Victoria, (1837-1901). Plaquette by Lauer Mint in Nuremberg commemorating the 60th anniversary of the reign in 1897. 35.03 g. Crowned head-and-shoulders portrait of Queen Victoria from the left. NLMH MK Inv.-Nr. 06:030:007. © National Museum Hannover – The WeltenMuseum.
“… Victoria was the last member of the House of Hanover on the British throne and her clothes go beyond the scope of this piece, so to speak. It is therefore an interesting example of the new forms of expression of the Modern Style in medal art.”
“… Victoria was the last member of the House of Hanover on the British throne and her clothes go beyond the scope of this piece, so to speak. It is therefore an interesting example of the new forms of expression of the Modern Style in medal art.”
02Quedlinburg, abbey. Beatrix von Winzenburg (1138-1160). Bracteate. 0.85 g. Abbess sitting on the right with a palm branch in her hand, the Vogt is standing in front of her with a sword over his shoulder. Mehl (2006) 55. NLMH MK Inv.-Nr. 04:028:023. © National Museum Hannover – The WeltenMuseum.
“…striking coins on behalf of abbesses is a particularity of German medieval coinage and the bracteates from major abbeys of the empire truly are small works of art.”
“…striking coins on behalf of abbesses is a particularity of German medieval coinage and the bracteates from major abbeys of the empire truly are small works of art.”
09Hannover, kingdom. George III (1760-1820, king as of 1814). 5 talers (pistole) 1814 C. Yield. 6.63 g. Four-line inscription // Horse jumping to the left onto a piece of ground. Jaeger (1971) 105. NLMH MK Inv.-Nr. 03:100:004. © National Museum Hannover – The WeltenMuseum.
“… the history of coinage in Lower Saxony has been strongly influenced by the Harz silver mining industry. However, also a small amount of gold was mined each year and was minted into ducats and pistole coins. The piece bears the inscription EX AURO HERCINIÆ (= Made of Harz gold).”
“… the history of coinage in Lower Saxony has been strongly influenced by the Harz silver mining industry. However, also a small amount of gold was mined each year and was minted into ducats and pistole coins. The piece bears the inscription EX AURO HERCINIÆ (= Made of Harz gold).”
08Spain, kingdom. Charles IV (1788-1808). 8 reales 1791 Mo, Mexico City with counter mark of Great Britain (portrait of George III in the oval). 25.49 g. Armour-clad head-and-shoulder portrait with laurel wreath // Crowned escutcheon, quarterly with a heart between the Pillars of Hercules. Cayón (n.d.) 13848; Montaner, Resellos (n.d.), p. 108. NLMH MK Inv.-Nr. 06:018:024. © National Museum Hannover – The WeltenMuseum.
“… thanks to the time of the personal union between Hannover and Great Britain (1714-1837), the National Museum has a large number of attractive pieces of the British colonies and this numismatic field has unfortunately received little attention so far.”
“… thanks to the time of the personal union between Hannover and Great Britain (1714-1837), the National Museum has a large number of attractive pieces of the British colonies and this numismatic field has unfortunately received little attention so far.”
07Hannover, kingdom. George (I) Louis, (1698-1714/1727). Medal 1714, by Philipp Heinrich Müller commemorating the accession to the throne in London. 25.49 g. Head-and-shoulder portrait to the right with laurel wreath and coat // Horse jumping on a map from Hannover (hind hooves) to England (front hooves). Brockmann (1985/1987) 813. NLMH MK Inv.-Nr. 03:052:016. © National Museum Hannover – The WeltenMuseum.
“… this medal captures the beginning of the personal union between Hannover and Great Britain (1714-1837) more memorably than almost any other depiction does.”
“… this medal captures the beginning of the personal union between Hannover and Great Britain (1714-1837) more memorably than almost any other depiction does.”
06Brunswick and Lüneburg, duchy. Augustus II the Younger (1635-1666). Gnadenpfennig 1633. 17.00 g. Armour-clad head-and-shoulder portrait of Augustus half lenth to right // Threefold helmeted, eleven-fielded coat of arms. Brockmann (1985/1987) 162. NLMH MK Inv.-Nr. 01:127:096. © National Museum Hannover – The WeltenMuseum.
“… because numismatics has so much more to offer than just coins. For example, these precursors of orders, which were awarded to military leaders and officials in the 16th/17th century.”
“… because numismatics has so much more to offer than just coins. For example, these precursors of orders, which were awarded to military leaders and officials in the 16th/17th century.”
05Hamelin, city. Klippe of 1 taler. 26.73 g. Crowned, double-headed eagle with globus cruciger on its chest // St. Boniface Minster with millstone and millrind in the circle. Kalvelage/Schrock (1982) 119 a (this specimen). NLMH MK Inv.-Nr. 05:053:009. © National Museum Hannover – The WeltenMuseum.
“… I myself lived in Hamelin for some time and this piece makes me think back to walks along the Weser with view of the minster. By the way, the millrind in the middle of the millstone, which looks like the letter H of Hamelin, is an example of ‘canting arms’.”
“… I myself lived in Hamelin for some time and this piece makes me think back to walks along the Weser with view of the minster. By the way, the millrind in the middle of the millstone, which looks like the letter H of Hamelin, is an example of ‘canting arms’.”
04Brunswick and Lüneburg, duchy. Christian Louis (1641-1665). Löser of 10 talers. 288.51 g. Horse jumping to the left in front of a mining scene, crowned by a hand from the clouds with a laurel wreath // Crowned CL monogram in a laurel wreath surrounded by 14 crowned coats of arms. Welter (1971) 1491. NLMH MK Inv.-Nr. 03:007:002. © National Museum Hannover – The WeltenMuseum.
“… the National Museum has one of the largest collections of these large silver coins of the 16th/17th century and the detailed mining scenes give insight into the underground world of that time.”
“… the National Museum has one of the largest collections of these large silver coins of the 16th/17th century and the detailed mining scenes give insight into the underground world of that time.”
03Lüneburg, city. Gold gulden n.d. (1440/1493) with counter mark of Lübeck (double-headed eagle). 3.35 g. John the Baptist standing in the front with the Lamb of God // Globus cruciger in a trefoil. Krusy (1974) L 4,6; Mader 1 (2012) 52 b. NLMH MK Inv.-Nr. 05:099:048. © National Museum Hannover – The WeltenMuseum.
“…counter-marking gold coins was limited to no more than eight cities and is thus one of the great rarities of the monetary system of late Middle Ages.”
“…counter-marking gold coins was limited to no more than eight cities and is thus one of the great rarities of the monetary system of late Middle Ages.”
01Caliphate of Córdoba. Abd al-Rahman III (AH 300-350 = AD 913-961). Dirham AH 347 (=958/959), Medina Azahara. 2.37 g. Arabic script on both sides. Miles (1950) 238 a. NLMH MK Inv.-Nr. 06:046:040. © National Museum Hannover – The WeltenMuseum.
“… I am very interested in the history of the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages and the changing relations between Muslims and Christians of that time, which have left an impressive mark on coinage.”
“… I am very interested in the history of the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages and the changing relations between Muslims and Christians of that time, which have left an impressive mark on coinage.”
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