Wide double-ducat

The heirless death of Philip Julius in 1625 ended the existence of the Duchy of Wolgast and the illegal mint in Franzburg. The ruler's minting activities were incompatible with the monetary law of the Reich, as only the mint in Szczecin could operate in the Duchy of Pomerania. The low-value small coins minted by Philip Julius contributed to monetary destabilisation and the outbreak of inflation, which developed into hyperinflation (the period known as Kipper und Wipperzeit). Corrective measures taken by the Duke, including the production of a full value 1/16 thaler, or the cessation of minting and devaluation of two-shillings, did not stabilise the currency and monetary system. The last years of his reign were marked by internal difficulties and heavy indebtedness of the state and problems with collecting a huge tax (over 83 thousand thalers) for the defence of the Reich in connection with the ongoing Thirty Years' War. Philip Julius died in 1625 in Volgograd (Wolgast) and was buried there. With the death of the forty-year-old Duke, the Wolgast line ceased to exist, and Bogislaw XIV became the sole ruler of the whole West Pomerania. On his initiative, silver commemorative coins were minted in Franzburg to commemorate the funeral of Philip Julius, after which the mint was closed. Among the whole issue, the most impressive are double thalers minted with a broad thaler's stamp, on which there is the Duke's bust in armour, with a wide lace collar dominating around his neck. The inscription on the reverse of the stamp contains universal information about the reason for mintage, dates of birth and death and their founder. All commemorative denominations bear the signature of an acorn, referring to the mint master Hans Puls, who held this position between 1622 and 1625.

Genowefa Horoszko