Luther Medals and Reformation Coins – Exhibition in Saint Louis
A new exhibition in Saint Louis explores the topic of coins and medals from the Reformation. It presents over 125 of the most valuable and historically significant pieces from the collections of three important Michigan collectors.
Dr. Daniel Harmelink, Executive Director of Concordia Historical Institute and President of the International Association of Reformation Coins and Medals, prepares the exhibit hall for the special exhibit. Photo: CHI.
Concordia Historical Institute, the Department of History and Archives of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod houses the most extensive institutional collection of Reformation coins and medals outside of Germany. Over the last 175 years, many Lutherans in North America collected these Reformation pieces in gold, silver, bronze and pewter as memorials of their Lutheran faith. Opening on June 25, 2024, CHI will showcase the extensive Reformation coin and medal collections of three Lutherans from the state of Michigan who purchased, researched, and cataloged pieces crafted over the last 500 years from Germany, Scandinavia, and North America.
The exhibition poster. Image: CHI.
This museum exhibit, entitled “Luther Medals and Reformation Coins: Michigan Connections and Collectors” will present over 125 of the most valuable and historically significant pieces from the collections of Henry Kling, Jr., Charles Manske, and James Daenzer.
The exhibit has been curated by CHI Executive Director Dr. Daniel Harmelink, president of the International Association of Reformation Coins and Medals, editor of the comprehensive catalog “A Striking Witness to Luther and the Reformation: The Reformation Coin and Medal Collection of Concordia Historical Institute” (2016 CPH), and, most recently, a contributor to the newly-published “Zeichen der Identität,” edited by Dr. Gerd Dethlefs and Dr. Stefan Rhein.
These outstanding coins and medals are available for viewing since June 25, 2024 until February 18, 2025 weekdays between 9AM and 3PM in the Concordia Historical Institute Exhibition Hall, 804 Seminary Place, Clayton, Missouri on the campus of Concordia Seminary.
