Osnabruck 1633 thaler
This specimen was lot 4337 in Künker sale 441 (Osnabrück, March 2026), where it sold for €5,500 (about US$7,566 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"OSNABRÜCK, BISTUM Franz Wilhelm von Wartenberg, 1625-1661. Einseitige Klippe zu 1 Reichstaler 1633, Osnabrück, geprägt während der Belagerung der Stadt Osnabrück durch schwedische Truppen vom 14. August bis zum 11. September. Vierfeldiges Wappen (Osnabrück, Wartenberg / Wartenberg, Osnabrück), dahinter steht der Heilige Petrus mit Schlüssel und Buch, zu den Seiten die geteilte Jahreszahl 16 - 33, umher Blätterkranz. RR Übliche kl. Stempelfehler, kl. Schrötlingsfehler, fast vorzüglich. Exemplar der Sammlung Münzen und Medaillen aus adeligem Privatbesitz. (bishopric of Osnabrück, Francis William of Wartenburg, 1625-61, uniface klippe thaler of 1633, Osnabrück mint, struck during the siege by Swedish troops, August-September 1633. Obverse: quartered arms of Osnabrück and Wartenburg supported by St. Peter with keys and book, dividing the date. Very rare, small die defects and planchet defects, about extremely fine.)
Bischof Franz Wilhelm von Wartenberg war schon vor Beginn der Belagerung nach Bonn geflüchtet, hatte aber noch vor seiner Abreise den Befehl gegeben, zur Bezahlung der Truppen silberne Klippen ausmünzen zu lassen. Die Prägung erfolgte vom 14. August bis zum 11. September 1633, an dem die Stadt den Schweden übergeben wurde. (Bishop Franz Wilhelm von Wartenberg had already fled to Bonn before the siege began; however, prior to his departure, he had issued orders to have silver klippes minted to pay the troops. The minting took place from August 14 to September 11, 1633—the day the city was surrendered to the Swedes.)"
Other thalers for 1633 include KM 35/Dav-4551, KM 36/Dav-4553, KM 37/Dav-4554, KM 38/Dav-4555 and KM 39/Dav-4556, all featuring the Swedish king Gustavus Adolphus, presumably struck after the capture of the city. Davenport seems to have skipped this one. Francis William of Wartenburg (1593-1661) was bishop of Osnabrück 1625-34 and 1648-61, bishop of Verden 1630-31, bishop of Minden 1631-48 and bishop of Regensburg 1649-61, all overwhelmingly Lutheran dioceses.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: silver, this specimen 29,06 g.
Catalog reference: KM 33, Brause-Mansfeld Tf. 21, 1 (Vorderseite); Kennepohl 215; Engel/Fabre/Perret/Wattier 4.1.21.1.
- Craig, William D., Germanic Coinages: Charlemagne through Wilhelm II, Mountain View, CA: 1954.
- Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
- Korchnak, Lawrence C., Siege Coins of the World, 1453-1902, Lancaster, PA: Classical Numismatic Group, 2021.
- [1]Künker, Fritz Rudolf, Horst-Rudiger Künker, Ulrich Künker and Andreas Kaiser, Frühjahrs-Auktion 441: Orders and Decorations from the Estate of Wilhelm, Duke of Bavaria (1752–1837), among others | Coins and Medals from the Middle Ages and Modern times, particularly Denmark, Habsburg, Norway, and Saxony, Osnabrück: Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co., AG, 2026.
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