Medal double-ducat

The reign of Duke Bogislaw XIV (1620-1637) fell entirely during the Thirty Years' War. The Duchy, despite its policy of neutrality, as part of the Reich bore the costs of the War. Finally, in 1627, it surrendered to the dictate and occupation of the country by imperial troops. The maintenance of a foreign army led to the collapse of the money market. Silver seized from churches, manors and even from the princely treasury was converted into coins. The drama of the situation was that the production aimed at payments to imperial troops stationed in Pomerania during the War, and not at improving the finances of the Duchy. The last years of the reign of Duke Bogislaw XIV brought a significant increase in the issue of coins, especially thalers and ducats. Series of thalers (about 120 varieties of stamps) were mass-produced in Szczecin and Koszalin. Most of them have a portrait bust or half-figure of the Duke on the obverse and a multipole shield on the reverse. The two-thaler coin appeared towards the end of the reign of the severely ill Bogislaw XIV. Although it was different from other circulation coins and more decorative than a medal, it was minted according to the standards. The issue of medal thalers appeared soon after the internal reforms of the state were passed (1934), in a critical political situation and the expected death of the Duke. Because of the representation, it gives us some idea of the ideology of the Pomeranian court. In the Pomeranian minting, it is the only equestrian image of the ruler, moreover in such a dynamic and monumental representation. The attribute accompanying the rider - a baton, the so-called regiment, and the architectural motif in the background of the reverse, reflect the ceremonial rather than military content. The Pomerania coat of arms and the full title complement the propaganda character of the issue. In addition to double pieces, gold specimens weighing ten ducats were minted with the thaler stamp, and all were intended for a narrow circle of the then elite. The coin came from Helmut Hahn's collection and was acquired for the museum collection at auction in Berlin in 2013.

Genowefa Horoszko