1/2 thaler

The reign of Duke John Frederick (1569-1600) proved extremely important for the Pomeranian minting. After a break of more than half a century in coinage, it was not until 1580 that the central mint in Szczecin was opened. Despite financial difficulties and the lack of silver on the market, the first thalers, half-thalers and quarter-thalers were minted in West Pomerania. They are the work of Szczecin goldsmith Gregor Westpfahl, employed in the mint as a minter, who branded his works with an eagle's wing. The artist's coins were distinguished by attractive graphic design and precision of artistry. After two centuries, the image of the ruler reappeared on the main side of the half-thalers. On medieval coins, the images were schematic, while here, the attention is drawn to the realistic half-figure of the Duke in knightly armour, with detailed facial features, elements of his clothing and weaponry. In the legend on the obverse, there is the name of the ruler and his title. The country's division in 1532 provided each duke, regardless of the area of rule, with the full wording of royal titles and symbolism. It is worth mentioning that the depiction of John Frederick is an absolute novelty in the Pomeranian minting and appears sporadically on the coins of his successors. The ruler was portrayed as rex armatus (armed king), in armour and with the most important attributes such as a crown, sword and dominion apple. On the reverses of thalers and half-thalers, the nine-field coat of arms of the Pomeranian state and the whole Griffin dynasty appeared for the first time. The stylistics of the coat of arms with distinct Renaissance features, decorated with a ferrule and scroll ornament, was a novelty. A Latin sentence placed in the rim promoted devotion to the Lutheran faith. The fact that all known examples of the coin come from a single stamp and have a trace of breaking on the reverse attests to the great rarity of the half-thaler acquired by the National Museum in Szczecin in 2013.

Genowefa Horoszko