Commemorative guilder

A specific abundance of commemorative issues marked the reign of Duke Philip II (1606-1618). The ruler's love for art translated into a passion for collecting coins and designing his own. The series of guilders created towards the end of his reign (1614-1618) reflect the then events and political situation and the ideology of his rule. Symbols and allegories on reverses, treated on a par with the coat of arms, allude to the ruler's great responsibility and the subordination of life to the duty to rule. The ruler undoubtedly inspired the coins; some of them were probably designed by him. The presented guilder commemorates the expansion of the Castle in Szczecin, as stated on the reverse. In 1616-1619, a new wing of the Castle was added to the west, the so-called museum or mint wing, intended for a library and rich collections of works of art. The guilder is very modest and lacks balance between the artistic expression on both sides, which makes it stand out from other occasional numismatic items. The portrait of Philip, expressive and well depicting facial features, with a characteristic beard and moustache, repeats the ruler’s well-known image. The armour with a sash emphasises the Duke’s chivalrous qualities as military successes were always a reason for glory for the rulers. The main text completes the whole on the reverse. The work is anonymous, but what is striking is the poor quality of artistry of the portrait with a carelessly punched inscription on the reverse. It is a little surprising as the mint employed a skilled Augsburg goldsmith, Daniel Sailer, as an engraver, and the Erfurt goldsmith, Johann (Hans) Schambach, who managed the mint and was responsible for the appearance of the coins. The coin is unique, with the only known museum specimen coming from a German physician and collector, Professor Helmut Hahn’s Pomeranian collection, sold at auction in Berlin in 2013.

Genowefa Horoszko