Bartgroschen

Mmz.

cloverleaf, Zwickau and Schneeberg (Krug 1878)

The Bartgroschen ("beard groschen") was a

Duke Frederick III, the Wise (1486–1525). A total of 205,000 pieces were struck^[1] at the mints of Zwickau and Schneeberg. The groschen were the first Saxon coins with a portrait of the regent.^[2]

History

The

George the Bearded

(1500–1539).

Frederick the Wise
John the Steadfast
Albert the Bold

George, who appears in the inscription of the groschen for Duke

Albert the Bold (1464/85–1500), represented his father when he stayed in West Frisia

as a result of his military operations. The groschen minted later with the year 1493 are again the sole mintings of the Ernestine family, the Elector and his brother.

The name Bartgroschen was mentioned as early as 1493 in the probation list from the

Langensalza and Colditz

mints. He used his mint master's mark in all four mints.

The Bartgroschen of 1492 are the first coins in

Kipper and Wipper Period

was minting temporarily resumed in Zwickau.

Coin values

At the coin conference on 13 July 1490 in

Meissen guilder).^[5]

From 1492, the new Bartgroschen were distributed as follows:

1 Bartgroschen = 12 pfennigs = 24 heller
21 Bartgroschen (27.464 g of
fine gold)^[6]

Ninety Bartgroschen were struck from the eight-lot (= 0.500 f.) Erfurt mark (to 235.4011 g until 1500).^[7]

The value ratio of 1:21 between gold guilders and groschen was also maintained when the large silver coins, the silver guilders (thaler), were introduced.

Preparations for large silver coinage

The preparation for the introduction of the large silver currency began with the coin day in

gold currency and ultimately to largely replace it.^[10]

According to Paul Arnold, the introduction of the large silver currency took about ten years:

"The introduction of large silver currency therefore required well thought-out preparation, which took about ten years. It began on the Zeitz mint day on 9 August 1490, when, in view of the further fall in the gold content of the Rhenish gold gulden and the simultaneous increase in the gold price, the Erfurt mark, the basic coin weight in Saxony, was adjusted to the Cologne mark at 233.855 g. […] The next step was to cover the need for small change. First, the smaller denominations had to be minted in sufficient quantities before the silver gulden (thaler) could be introduced as the keystone of the entire coinage system, so to speak."[11]

The Bartgroschen were worth the same as the Schneeberger

Zinsgroschen that were distributed from 1496 onwards. They can therefore often be found under the name "Zinsgroschen".^[12]^[13]

The Zinsgroschen paved the way for larger silver coins.[14]

Design and inscription

The obverse of the groschen shows the bearded bust of the Elector in ceremonial robes with a sword on his right shoulder. There are four coats of arms in the legend. On the reverse you can see the crowned helmet with the Saxon crest between the separated number representing the year and the cloverleaf of the mintmaster's mark. The coins that are considered rare today are mostly weakly struck.

The

Meissen) in the inscription concerned.^[15]

The inscription on the sole issue (1492/1493) of the Ernestine duke, Frederick III with his brother John is (possibly also with small deviations - see KRUG):[16]

Obverse: FRID(ericus).E–L(e)C(tor).IO(hannes):–DVC(e)S:–SAXO(niae)
- Translation: Frederick, Elector, and John, Dukes of Saxony
Reverse: GROSSVS.NOVVS.ZWIGKAV(iensis)
- Translation: New Zwickau Groschen

The inscription on the coin shown here, the joint currency (1492) of Frederick III with his brother John and the Albertine Duke George reads:^[17]

Obverse: FRID(ericus):E(lector)–:I(ohannes).GE(o)R(gius)–DVC(e)S.S–A–XO(n)I(ae)
- Translation: Frederick, Elector, John and George, Dukes of Saxony
Reverse: GROSSVS.NOVVS.ZWIGKAV(iensis)
- Translation: New Zwickau Groschen

References

^ Walther Haupt: Sächsische Münzkunde, p. 89
^ Gerhard Krug: Die Meißnisch-Sächsischen Groschen 1338-1500, p. 119
^ Gerhard Krug: Die Meißnisch-Sächsischen Groschen 1338-1500, p. 102, note 495
^ mcsearch.info: Frederick III, John and George, Albert's deputy (1492–1493), Bartgroschen 1492. Bust in electoral regalia and with shouldered sword to the right. The Bartgroschen of 1492 are the first Saxon coins with the portrait of the regent.
^ Walther Haupt: Sächsische Münzkunde, p. 88
^ Gerhard Krug: Die meißnisch-sächsischen Groschen 1338–1500, p. 104
^ Gerhard Krug: The Meissen-Saxon Groschen 1338-1500 p. 101
^ Walther Haupt: Sächsische Münzkunde, p. 89
^ Paul Arnold: The Saxon taler currency from 1500 to 1763
^ Walther Haupt: Saxon numismatics , p. 89
^ Paul Arnold: Die sächsische Talerwährung von 1500 bis 1763, p. 54/55
^ Heinz Fengler, Gerd Gierow, Willy Unger: transpress Lexikon Numismatik, Berlin 1976. (See interest groschen - Zwickauer interest groschen)
^ Friedrich von Schrötter (ed.), with N. Bauer, K. Regling, A. Suhle, R. Vasmer, J. Wilcke: Wörterbuch der Münzkunde, de Gruyter, Berlin 1970 (reprint of the original edition from 1930). (See Zinsgroschen. The Bartgroschen are recorded as Zwickau Zinsgroschen (Mutgroschen, Mittelgroschen).)
^ Paul Arnold: Die sächsische Talerwährung von 1500 bis 1763, p. 55
^ Tristan Weber: Die sächsische Münzprägung von 1500 bis 1571: Eine quantitative Studie, Gietl Verlag 2010, p. 9
^ Example KRUG No. 1841
^ See KRUG No. 1878

Bibliography

Walther Haupt: Sächsische Münzkunde, Deutscher Verlag der Wissenschaften, Berlin 1974.
Gerhard Krug: Die meißnisch-sächsischen Groschen 1338–1500, Deutscher Verlag der Wissenschaften, Berlin 1974.
Paul Arnold: Die sächsische Talerwährung von 1500 bis 1763, in: Schweizerische numismatische Rundschau, Vol. 59, 1980.
Tristan Weber: Die sächsische Münzprägung von 1500 bis 1571: Eine quantitative Studie, Edition M & S, Münzen und Sammeln, Regenstauf 2010, ISBN 978-3-86646-827-6.

[1] Walther Haupt: Sächsische Münzkunde, p. 89

[2] Gerhard Krug: Die Meißnisch-Sächsischen Groschen 1338-1500, p. 119

[3] Gerhard Krug: Die Meißnisch-Sächsischen Groschen 1338-1500, p. 102, note 495

[4] search.info: Frederick III, John and George, Albert's deputy (1492–1493), Bartgroschen 1492. Bust in electoral regalia and with shouldered sword to the right. The Bartgroschen of 1492 are the first Saxon coins with the portrait of the regent.

[5] Walther Haupt: Sächsische Münzkunde, p. 88

[6] Gerhard Krug: Die meißnisch-sächsischen Groschen 1338–1500, p. 104

[7] Gerhard Krug: The Meissen-Saxon Groschen 1338-1500 p. 101

[8] Walther Haupt: Sächsische Münzkunde, p. 89

[9] Paul Arnold: The Saxon taler currency from 1500 to 1763

[10] Walther Haupt: Saxon numismatics , p. 89

[11] Paul Arnold: Die sächsische Talerwährung von 1500 bis 1763, p. 54/55

[12] Heinz Fengler, Gerd Gierow, Willy Unger: transpress Lexikon Numismatik, Berlin 1976. (See interest groschen - Zwickauer interest groschen)

[13] Friedrich von Schrötter (ed.), with N. Bauer, K. Regling, A. Suhle, R. Vasmer, J. Wilcke: Wörterbuch der Münzkunde, de Gruyter, Berlin 1970 (reprint of the original edition from 1930). (See Zinsgroschen. The Bartgroschen are recorded as Zwickau Zinsgroschen (Mutgroschen, Mittelgroschen).)

[14] Paul Arnold: Die sächsische Talerwährung von 1500 bis 1763, p. 55

[15] Tristan Weber: Die sächsische Münzprägung von 1500 bis 1571: Eine quantitative Studie, Gietl Verlag 2010, p. 9

[16] Example KRUG No. 1841

[17] See KRUG No. 1878

[1]

[2]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[10]

[12]

[13]

[15]

[17]

v t e Groschen
19th century	Neugroschen Silbergroschen
16th century	Apfelgroschen Guter Groschen Mariengroschen
15th century	Bartgroschen Bauerngroschen Helmgroschen Horngroschen Judenkopfgroschen Margarethengroschen Matthiasgroschen Pfahlschildgroschen Schildgroschen Schildgroschen (Hesse) Schwertgroschen Spitzgroschen Stüber Zinsgroschen
14th century	Albus Blaffert Broad groschen Fürstengroschen Meissen groschen Prague groschen Weißpfennig (Rhenish groschen)
See also	Guldengroschen Kraków grosz Sechsling
{{ Gulden}} • {{Pfennig}} • {{Thaler }}