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GERMAN EMPIRE: Saxony 2 & 5 Mark 1902

Albert was born on 23 April 1828 in Dresden as the first son of the later king Johann I. and Amalie Augusta (of Bavaria). The prince obtained an excellent training for his later reign.
From 1843 to 1847 he joined the army and retired as a captain to beginn with studies of law at the university in Bonn.
He had to break in on study to participate at the first war against Denmark in 1849. In the hostilities Albert was characterized by intepidness, exceptional courage and skill as a leader. Meanwhile he was promoted to a lieutenant general and after he paid a visit Russia and Hungary in 1853, he got the commandership of the first Saxonian infantry division.

The same year he married Princess Carola of Wasa, they had a prosperous but issueless marriage.

At the end of the 1850‘s Albert was promoted to a General and got the the supreme command of the complete Saxonian army.
In the German Austrian war of 1866 Saxony participated on the side of Austria. In spite of the defeat, which the Saxonian-Austrian troops suffered at Königgrätz, the Prince was characterised again by his bravery in these combats. After the war was lost for Saxony the Saxonian army integrated into the German federal army as 12. Army corps, Albert became commanding general.

Albert led his troops again in the war against France 1870/71.
He fought successfully at Gravelotte and St. Private, Beaumont and Sedan and favoured the integration of the Saxonian and Prussian troops into a combined German army by his personal example. In the summer of 1871 Albert returned highly decorated from France, acclaimed by the people.


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On October.29.1873 Albert followed his deceased father on the Saxonian throne. His possibilities of leadership and determination in saxonian policy were constricted by the formation of the Empire in 1871.
Nevertheless Saxony developed to a wealthy, economically and culturally successful country, in trade, industry and technology they achieved boom years and transferred this positive development also to the culture and sciences during Alberts thirty years of reign.
Numerous presentable new buildings were constructed in Leipzig and Dresden and both cities developed to centers of artistically life.

The busy, analytically thinking Albert with his appreciation for importance and his frank, human disposition had big part on these merits.
The nascent social discontent in the population through the industrialization, could abandoned by the personality of the king and his active support of the poorer levels of population.
His soldiers always had the special attention of the ruler. Under Albert’s reign the at that time most modern barracks in Germany were build.

The very popular king Albert died on Juni 19.1902 at the age of 74 in Silesia.


This is the 5 Mark commemorative coin, struck on the death of the king, mintage 100.000




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And here is a 2 Mark coin of 1902, not the common commemorative, this one was struck for circulation, mintage 542.762




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Comments

  • cachemancacheman Posts: 3,111 ✭✭✭
    Quality post. Great images and love the history!! image
  • Udo - Excellent!!!! The story was interesting and the coins beautiful. Thanks!
    Shep
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  • 1jester1jester Posts: 8,638 ✭✭✭
    Nice coins and thanks for the briefing!

    imageimageimage
    .....GOD
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    "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." -Luke 11:9

    "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might." -Deut. 6:4-5

    "For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; He will save us." -Isaiah 33:22
  • coinkatcoinkat Posts: 22,721 ✭✭✭✭✭
    great coins and I think we have a Darkside Post of the Day winner here.

    Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.

  • JamminJJamminJ Posts: 1,413 ✭✭✭
    Nice looking coins!

    Any thoughts as to the realtive availability of the 5M and 2M pieces? I see very nice 2Ms fairly often but the 5Ms seem elusive.
  • UdoUdo Posts: 984 ✭✭
    Thanks all image

    coinkat, thank you very much, I still don't know exactly the rules how to get a DPOTD, and if my post is really worth a DPOTD-award ?


    James, the 2 & 5 Mark 1902 commemorative coins are mostly easy to find with affordable prices, well the 5 Mark maybe a bit harder.

    The dates struck for circulation are hard to find in high grades 2 Mark coins easier, 5 Mark coins harder, but both very very scarce in high grades.

    Udo
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  • coinkatcoinkat Posts: 22,721 ✭✭✭✭✭
    yup... its worth a DPOTD. btw, those almost look like Specimen coins...sharply struck and I guess my experience is just different because I rarelt see either the 2 or 5M lok as nice as these two coins.

    Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.

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