Munster 1534 1-1/2 thaler Dav-9583A
This specimen was lot 325 in Sincona Auction 103 (Zürich, May 2026), where it did not sell. The catalog description[1] noted,
"DEUTSCHLAND Münster, Stadt. 1 1/2 Taler 1534, Münster. Prägung zweite Hälfte 17. Jahrhundert. Wappen mit THO-MVNS-TER in doppeltem Schriftkreis / Fünf Zeilen Schrift über drei kleinen Röschen. Sehr schön-vorzüglich. Feine Patina. (Germany, city of Münster, 1½ thaler of 1534, Münster mint, struck in the late seventeenth century. Obverse: arms with "THO-MVNS-TER" in two lines; reverse: five line script over three rosettes. Very Fine-Extremely Fine, Nicely toned.)"
The Anabaptists, a Protestant sect denounced by Lutherans and Catholics alike, seized control of the episcopal seat of Münster in February 1534. The expelled bishop, Franz von Waldeck, besieged and captured the town in June 1535 and executed several thousand rebels in the usual gruesome manner. The surviving Anabaptists scattered and never again attempted to set up a dominion. Among their descendants are the Mennonites. This 1½ thaler and the other coins were struck later as souvenirs.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: silver, this specimen 43.93 g.
Catalog reference: Geisberg 6, KM MB88, Dav-9583.
- Davenport, John S., German Talers, 1500-1600, Frankfurt am Main, Numismatischer Verlag P. N. Schulten, 1979.
- Nicol, N. Douglas, Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of German Coins, 1501-Present, 3rd ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2011.
- [1]Richter, Jürg, Michael Hardmeier, Michael Otto, Arne Kirsch, Ruedi Kunzmann and Timur Demirai, SINCONA Auction 103: World and Swiss coins and medals, Zürich: SINCONA AG, 2026.
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