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Mint at Cesky Krumlov

One of the stops on our amazing honeymoon in Central Europe was a small Bohemian town of Cesky Krumlov in Czech Republic. Situated on Vltava river, it's a picturesque town that turned out to be a hidden gem. We enjoyed walking around the castle, chatting with the locals and canoeing down the river through the city.



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While going through the castle, I was surprised to find a small mint. Apparently a number of the ruling families minted coins at different times in castle's history.



Here's some info from the tour:



... Out of the Lords of Krumlov, already the Rosenbergs managed to get the right to mint their own coins in 1422 from the Emperor Sigismund. The Eggenbergs and Schwarzenbergs also had these priveleges.



Johann Ulrich von Eggenberg was granted the "big palatinate" in 1625 on grounds of which he had the right to mint his own coins.



"...Furthermore, we (i.e. Emperor Ferdinand II) did this special favour and act of freedom to our dear beloved noble uncle and Imperial Prince Johann Ulrich von Eggenburg, Prince and Lord of Krumlov; on ground of our imperial and royal power by this certificate we give him and his descendants the right to build and establish a mint on their manors and territories, which are currently owned by them or will be owned by them in the future, and have minted by proper minting masters, who will be called for this duty, various golden and silver coins, small and big, as allowed by the Imperial Minting Order, and have slogans, portraits and symbols on both sides, and properly manage the coins without being inhibited from it by anyone..."



Johann Ulrich von Eggenberg had the first original mint in Cesky Krumlov built in one room of the so-called Upper Castle. From the court locksmith in 1677, Christian Fauster, we know that he cleaned and repaired 1 big minting machine, 2 broaching machines, 3 piercing machines and 1 minting scissors. The last minting took place in 1688 and it was the last minting by the Eggenbergs.



Johann Adolph I zu Schwarzenberg was granted the "Right of the big palatinate" by the Emperor Leopold I in 1671.





Below are some images of the displayed coins and dies, as well as the machinery shown in the room.



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Comments

  • lordmarcovanlordmarcovan Posts: 43,799 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Oh, what a beautiful place!



    Coins and dies, too? All the more awesome!

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  • lordmarcovanlordmarcovan Posts: 43,799 ✭✭✭✭✭
    PS- first picture, bottom right- see that little spit of an island/peninsula, where the people are kayaking?



    That sandy area near the tip, under the big tree... that's the first place I'd swing my metal detector. Maybe find a few coins that came off those dies, who knows? image

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  • ZoharZohar Posts: 6,676 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Oh my - I see Taler dies! What an experience - thanks for sharing.



    Did you see roller presses there?



  • TwoKopeikiTwoKopeiki Posts: 9,853 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I actually thought of both of you when there. LordM - lots of places to swing that detector, and Z - Austrian coinage and the fact that we couldn't get away from all the Hapsburgs. image I believe there are 3 roller presses (sans dies) on the right in the second picture and 3 straight on in the first.
  • lordmarcovanlordmarcovan Posts: 43,799 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Assuming these are your pictures, which they seem to be, how did you get such a great aerial view in the first photo? Nearby peak with zoom lens? Just wondering. That photo is desktop wallpaper-worthy.

    Explore collections of lordmarcovan on CollecOnline, management, safe-keeping, sharing and valuation solution for art piece and collectibles.
  • TwoKopeikiTwoKopeiki Posts: 9,853 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Thanks, Rob. Every city we visited I enlisted we climbed the highest tourist tower available. The cathedral in Prague was the worst - narrow stone staircase with 200+ steps. Helped keep us in shape throughout all that European cousine tasting image
  • bronzematbronzemat Posts: 2,663 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Great pics, thanks for sharing!
  • Jackthecat1Jackthecat1 Posts: 1,122 ✭✭✭
    A great find. Thank you for the report and photos.
    Member ANS, ANA, GSNA, TNC



    image
  • ashelandasheland Posts: 23,714 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Great thread! Thanks for sharing this!
  • jgennjgenn Posts: 760 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Yes, thanks for sharing, Roman. I've become fascinated with the older minting techniques and hope to identify which type was used to create each thaler in my collection. I can say that your last picture is of a trussel, i.e. the part that was hit with the hammer. The big, flat surface dies are examples of the anvil die, probably the bottom half that pairs with the trussel or maybe for a screw press although they were a later invention for coining. The curved surface dies are for the rocker press. I think I see a rocker press in your fourth picture, the second device from the right. I believe a roller press would be larger than these examples and the die would be a cylinder with multiple impressions on them, sometimes of different denominations in order to maximize the number of coins that could be pressed at once.
  • ZoharZohar Posts: 6,676 ✭✭✭✭✭
    This is a wonderful thread which I would recommend as POTD - thank you Roman. Not to take anything from it, I have a small section regarding minting techniques on my website - LINK
  • lordmarcovanlordmarcovan Posts: 43,799 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Seconded for DPOTD.

    Explore collections of lordmarcovan on CollecOnline, management, safe-keeping, sharing and valuation solution for art piece and collectibles.
  • HandHHandH Posts: 438 ✭✭✭
    My favorite OP of the year ( other than mine ) ! ??

    US Civil War coinage
    Historical Medals

  • OldEastsideOldEastside Posts: 4,602 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Thank You Roman, This is the land of my Grandparents

    Steve
    Promote the Hobby
  • WeissWeiss Posts: 9,942 ✭✭✭✭✭
    That's awesome!
    We are like children who look at print and see a serpent in the last letter but one, and a sword in the last.
    --Severian the Lame
  • SwampboySwampboy Posts: 13,100 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Just a wonderful thread.

    The city, the Mint and, Holy Cow! canoeing through a medieval city. Congratulations Roman!!

    "Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working" Pablo Picasso

  • dadamsdadams Posts: 376 ✭✭✭
    Roman,

    Congratulations on the marriage and I'm happy you are having a wonderful honeymoon.

    -Doug
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  • WorldTypeSetWorldTypeSet Posts: 1,338 ✭✭✭
    Excellent. Great to see some old dies and presses.
  • marcmoishmarcmoish Posts: 6,630 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Awesome thread indeed.
  • hchcoinhchcoin Posts: 4,837 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Originally posted by: marcmoish
    Awesome thread indeed.

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  • StorkStork Posts: 5,207 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Definite DPOTD!



    I couldn't use my favorite emoti on your thread on Cointalk, so here it s here...



    image

  • luckybucksluckybucks Posts: 1,318 ✭✭✭
    Lots of nice pics. Awesome thread that a lot of hard work was put into creating.
  • worldcoinguyworldcoinguy Posts: 3,030 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Roman, congrats on the honeymoon. This is a great post. Was she a bit suspicious about "accidentally" stumbling on a coin museum?
  • TwoKopeikiTwoKopeiki Posts: 9,853 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Thanks for all the comment, folks! Haven't had much time to spend on the forums since I've posted this, but hopefully that changes soon.



    Brent, my wife was the one who actually found the room and pointed it out to me. I would've have totally missed it! image
  • kruegerkrueger Posts: 904 ✭✭✭✭


    My Great- Great-Grandparents came from there!



    way Cool to see the photos.



    I did not know there was a mint there

    I may have to start a new collection!



    Krueger
  • LochNESSLochNESS Posts: 4,829 ✭✭✭
    Originally posted by: OldEastside

    Thank You Roman, This is the land of my Grandparents



    Steve




    Mine, too! Loved everything about this post. Fantastic photos content and capture. Makes me want to go there on our next trip. What a fabulous find, indeed.



    More dies on display than I have ever seen at other mint museums, including London Castle and Smithsonian.
    ANA LM • WBCC 429

    Amat Colligendo Focum

    Top 10FOR SALE

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  • pruebaspruebas Posts: 4,641 ✭✭✭✭✭
    2K, this is probably the best thread I've read in a long time.



    Thanks for sharing and congrats.
  • TwoKopeikiTwoKopeiki Posts: 9,853 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Thanks guys! I'm working through 1,200+ photos we took on this trip - feels like I'm reliving it again image
  • NapNap Posts: 1,755 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Cool pics

    I have been to the castle town of Cesky Krumlov, about 10 years ago when I was studying in Prague. From what I can recall, it was a lovely setting. I do not remember the coin display, either I missed it or it wasn't there then.
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