Centennial of the Protestant Reformation

Sale: Triton X, Lot: 1043. Estimate $2000.  Closing Date: Monday, 8 January 2007.  Sold For $2500. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

GERMANY, Straßburg (Stadt). AR Taler (27.23 g, 12h). Commemorating the centennial of the Reformation. Dated 1617. + OMNIS (rosette) TERRA (rosette) ADORET (rosette) DEVM (rosette) ET (rosette) PSALLAT (rosette) EI • in outer row; (rosette) LVX (rosette) POST (rosette) TENEBRAS (rosette) MDXVII : in inner row, coat of arms of Strassburg / • (rosette) PRO (rosette) • / RELIGIONIS • / CENTVM • ANTE • / ANNOS • DIVINITVS / RESTITVTÆ • MEMO / RIA • NOVIQVE • SECV / LI • FELICI • AVSPICIO / S • P • Q • ARGENTOR • / F • F • A • MDCXVII • / CAL • NOVEMB • in ten lines; arabesque below. Engel & Lehr 609; Davenport 5846a. EF, beautifully toned.

Strassburg adopted Protestantism during the Reformation and, as a result, attracted immigrants from areas of Europe where non-Catholics were persecuted. The city soon became a major center of learning and bookprinting. This taler commemorates the centennial of the Protestant Reformation and celebrates Strassburg’s development as a focus of Protestant teaching and practice.