Newp (Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel Truth Taler)

EVillageProwler

In the late 16th Century, Heinrich Julius wanted to implement legal reform. At the time, the legal system was based on the Saxon system of using local elders to adjudicate. This is similar to the Anglo-Saxon witanagemot from almost 1000 years earlier and that which is still in use unofficially or officially in the Middle East, Central Asia and South Asia and probably elsewhere.

Heinrich Julius wanted to replace the Saxon system with the Roman system where the laws and procedures are codified. (This is actually the Hammurabi system.) But this meant that the local elders will lose much of their influence, and that caused political discord between the two sides.

In response to the local elders’ political agitation, the Duke issued several politically themed talers. There are a handful of themes that can be collected as a type set. In ChAU (USA standards) or better, these coins are tough to acquire. This piece is depicts the Truth theme. I also own two others: Lying and Wasp (actually, they are Mosquitoes to depict the nobles as annoying).

GERMANY, Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel (Fürstentum). Heinrich Julius. 1589-1613. AR Taler (42mm, 29.12g, 12h). Wahrheits type. Goslar mint. Dated 1597. Four-line legend and date / Allegory of Truth victorious over Deceit and Lies; all within border of coats-of-arms. Welter 629; Davenport 9091. Good VF, toned.

Ex Emporium Hamburg 77 (17 November 2016), lot 1726; Künker 49 (1999), lot 1432.

bidask

Very interesting thanks for the write-up.

EVillageProwler

Lying Taler, acquired this year at NYINC:

Wasp (Mosquito) Taler, acquired from @Zohar two or three years ago:

worldcoinguy

EVP - I love it. Nice write up on the series. My taler tastes have changed over the years but I still find these early Braunschweig-Wolfenbuttel pieces to be fascinating. The wasp taler (mosquito as you point out) is one of my favorites as you can see by my icon. Eventually I will add a truth taler and an early light taler when a nice one becomes available at a fair price.

asheland

Cool!

EVillageProwler

Thanks guys.

BTW, these are the six themes: Rebel, Lying, Truth, Wasp, Pelican, and Harmony. I need three more for a set.

@worldcoinguy said:
EVP - I love it. Nice write up on the series. My taler tastes have changed over the years but I still find these early Braunschweig-Wolfenbuttel pieces to be fascinating. The wasp taler (mosquito as you point out) is one of my favorites as you can see by my icon. Eventually I will add a truth taler and an early light taler when a nice one becomes available at a fair price.

What is an 'early light taler'? Do you mean a Guldiner? And, is your avatar from my coin? Looks a lot like it is the same exact coin.

EVP

worldcoinguy

I honestly can't recall where that image came from. I bought the piece in early 2008 and the icon jpg image has a timestamp of 7/15/2010. I can't imagine why I would have imaged a taler other than the one I had in hand. The icon likely originates from the following image after some contrast enhancement in photoshop to bring out the details more for the tiny icon image.

worldcoinguy

There are a few variations, but the lichttalers generally feature the wildman with a candle. Here is an example offered in upcoming Kunker auction.

EVillageProwler

Got the coin on Friday, and I was extremely pleased. The obverse (with the allegory of Truth) is very flashy with light champagne patina on minimally marked surfaces. In US TPG terms, the obverse reasonably grades somewhere between 55 and 62. The reverse has a slightly more aged patina on also minimally marked surfaces, with a light kaleidoscope of colors developing at the periphery. In US TPG terms, the reverse reasonably grades somewhere between 53 to 58.

IMHO, the luster on this coin should keep it from the bottom end of the likely grade range. I think an AU58 grade would be appropriate. But no matter the grade, I love the coin.

A note about the European grade... CNG use "British grading" and gave it a "GVF" (Good Very Fine) because they factor in a coin's strike and planchet quality in addition to circulation wear. What they do not do, apparently, is factor in evidence of cleaning and hairlines in the grade, but many will note the cleaning in the description and reflect it in the price. CNG, specifically, do not have a consistent grading standard to these types of non-British late medieval (and later) coinage. Anyway, my observation is that a British (or, at least a CNG) "GVF" usually results in a US TPG grade of 45 to 55.

With the coin is also the auction slip from Emporium Hamburg where it was graded "f.vz", which approximately translates to "Almost Excellent" using English words. I do not have enough experience with the grading of German auction houses to form well-reasoned observations on grading. I also know only two German dealers, and one is quite good at grading to US TPG standards and the other not so good.

Using a common language to describe my coin using three different grading standards, we have: "Choice Almost Uncirculated / Near Mint State" (US TPG; next higher grade bracket is "MS"); "Good VF" (British; next higher grade bracket is "EF"); and "Almost Excellent" (German; next higher grade bracket is "ST", which stands for "Stempelglanz"). I interact a lot with an Italian coin dealer, and my guess is that he'd grade this "SPL" (splendido) or "m-SPL" (molto SPL); next higher grade bracket is "FDC", which stands for flower of the coin (in French). And, of course, within each grade bracket there is low and high adjustor adjectives. For British "VF", we can also have "Near VF" and "Good VF". For Italian, we can have "q-SPL" (quasi-SPL) and "m-SPL" (molto-SPL). For German, we have "f-VZ" and "VZ-ST". No funny looking stickers though.

[Imagine if Herr Künker puts a sticker with a gold K on the choicest German coins that cross his table, or Signore Varesi uses a sticker with a gold V for Italian coins? That would be hilarious!]

Bob13

@EVillageProwler - this is a great thread, thanks for the info. The one below caught my eye in the recent HA monthly auction. I paid too much, but as was said above, I find these coins fascinating - it just grabbed me. I am very pleased with the in hand appearance. The strike on some of these is just terrible - I think this one is pretty good and looks largely unmolested.

The obverse, per my Davenport book, has Victory flying over a crouching lion. The text reads: Protect yourself from the blame of lying; that is advised. At length the good cause triumphs. (Or, a good cause triumphs in the end.)

My question for the combined wisdom of the board - what the heck is the other animal below the lion with horns?

worldcoinguy

@Bob13 - I like your tastes. That was the single lot in that HA auction that I bid on. I think you added an excellent piece.

Bob13

@worldcoinguy - it was this lot and the ecu that @messydesk posted were the ones that caught my eye the most.

I hope we don’t compete too often!

worldcoinguy

@Bob13 - with my recent auction success (or lack thereof), you should be safe for awhile. I am on quite a long underbidder streak right now between HA and the Stacks auction this week.

Zohar

@Bob13 you are picking up very nice pieces all having a consistent look to them. Keep posting maybe it will get other forum members to show some interest.

Bob13

@Zohar - thanks for the encouragement. Will do my best.