u/FeverDreamingg

They must’ve sent a dude up on a ladder for that view 🪜

A 1743 Columnario 8 Reales and an 1844 Zacatecas 8 Reales

Plus some pics from my last time in Venice. At the time this coin was struck, Venice punched well above its weight and was a major power in European and Mediterranean politics. They had colonies throughout the Mediterranean, including in the Balkans, the Peloponnese, Crete, and Cyprus. Venice was regularly at war with the Ottomans as the Muslims expanded into the eastern Mediterranean, and also their Italian neighbours. Perhaps their fiercest rivalry was with Genoa, the other Italian City-State that was also a republic and major naval power.

A bit of shipwreck treasure for you today. The story is that the design of this coin was created by the king of Spain himself. Since it has become on of the most iconic of all time, I’d say he did an okay job.

The two pillars represent the Pillars of Hercules at the mouth of the Mediterranean where it empties into the Atlantic. The banner wrapping around the pillars says “Plus Ultra” which means “More Beyond [the sea]” and is Spain laying claim to discovering (and then occupying) the new world.

The small crowns on the pillars represent the kingdoms of Castile and Aragon, the two constituent kingdoms of Spain, and the big crown represents the unified Spain. This is reflected in “VTRAQUE VNUM”: “Both are one”.

The two globes over the ocean, with the crown above all of it, is basically saying the same thing, that both hemispheres and all the oceans belong to the crown of Spain. While obviously aspirational, when this coin was made, Spain did own most of the Americas, and had significant territorial acquisitions in Asia.

Without getting too into the history of it, the Spanish and the Portuguese signed the Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494, which was then ratified by the Pope (big deal at the time) that basically said that Spain basically owned the new world (basically nearly all of the Americas), so this coin is Spain asserting that claim (although by this time, England/France/Netherlands/etc. had all staked their own claims in North America).

Early modern Dutch silver coinage is a mess of denominations and weights. This Rijksdaalder was intended for internal trade in the Netherlands, as opposed to the Ducaton, which was a trade coin minted for international trade. The particular piece was minted by the Province of Gelderland.

The province of Gelderland is the largest province by area in the Netherlands and traces its origins to the medieval County of Guelders (Gelre), which emerged in the 11th century. Gradually becoming one of the most powerful principalities in the Low Countries, Gelderland came into competition with the neighbouring provinces of Brabant, Holland, and the Bishopric of Utrecht.

During the 15th and early 16th centuries, Gelderland fiercely resisted the expansion of the Spanish Habsburgs. Despite years of successful resistance, the duchy was ultimately conquered by Charles V in 1543 and incorporated into the Habsburg Netherlands.

When the Dutch Revolt began in 1568, much of Gelderland joined the rebellion against Spanish rule. It became one of the seven founding provinces of the Dutch Republic in 1579, retaining considerable autonomy while contributing soldiers and wealth to the republic’s defense and prosperity.

This 1776 Hesse-Kassel Thaler, also known as a “Blood Dollar”, was struck under Frederick II, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel. In Germany, the coin is more commonly known as the Sterntaler (“Star Thaler”) because the reverse features the eight-pointed star of the Order of the Golden Lion.

There are two explanations for the nickname “Blood Dollar”, both coming from Hesse-Kassel’s involvement in the American Revolutionary War. During the war, Frederick II leased thousands of Hessian soldiers to Great Britain to fight against the American colonists. Britain paid Hesse-Kassel substantial sums for these troops, and in American circles it was widely believed that the silver from those payments was used to mint these thalers, or that the coins represented the “blood money” earned from selling soldiers into battle. The other common explanation for the nickname was that these thalers were used to compensate families of soldiers killed during the war. Thus, the coins were obtained through blood.

Famously, America struggled early in the Revolutionary War, until George Washington won one of his first major battles of the American Revolution when he led his men across the icy Delaware River on December 26th, 1776, and caught a 900-strong Hessian garrison unprepared at Trenton. Hessians continued to fight on the British side through most of the war, and were regarded as some of the best infantry of the war. They were present at most major battles of the war.

About 30,000 Hessians served in the war, and afterwards about 5000 stayed behind and joined the newly independent United States as citizens.

A pretty crispy Caballito I picked up a while back

From the 1300s to the 1600s, the Republic of Genoa was one of the greatest maritime powers in the Mediterranean. While Venice dominated the eastern Mediterranean (foreshadowing), Genoa dominated the west. Genoa middle-manned trade between Europe and the East, building a commercial empire that stretched from the western Mediterranean to the Black Sea.

Genoese merchants and sailors established colonies and trading posts in places such as Corsica, Crimea, the Aegean Sea, and the Levant. Their fleets carried silk, spices, grain, precious metals, and slaves between Europe and Asia, making Genoa one of the wealthiest cities in Europe, in close competition with Venice. Genoa’s rise was driven by its skilled navy and entrepreneurial merchants. It defeated its rival Pisa in Battle in 1284, securing dominance over much of the western Mediterranean. Its greatest rival remained Venice, with the two republics fighting a series of costly naval wars for control of Mediterranean trade routes.

The city’s influence extended beyond commerce. Genoese bankers became Europe’s leading financiers, lending money to monarchs and governments. During the 16th century, Genoese banks helped finance the vast empire of Habsburg Spain. Despite its wealth, Genoa was often divided by rivalry between noble families, leading to periods of civil conflict. Competition from the Portuguese and Spanish oceanic trade routes in the late 15th and 16th centuries gradually reduced its importance as Mediterranean commerce declined, and European ambitions turned to New World and South East Asian trade routes.

The Austro-Hungarian Empire was created in 1867, transforming the old Austrian Empire into a dual monarchy.

Franz Joseph I of Austria had ruled a multi-ethnic empire since 1848, but his government faced growing nationalist movements, especially in Hungary. The Hungarians had attempted to gain independence during the revolutions of 1848–49, but their uprising was crushed with Russian assistance.

Austria’s position weakened further after military defeats. The empire lost to the Kingdom of Sardinia and France in 1859, costing it much of its influence in Italy, and then suffered a major defeat by the Kingdom of Prussia in the Seven Weeks’ War of 1866. These setbacks convinced Franz Joseph that he needed to reconcile with the Hungarian nobility to preserve the empire.

In 1867, the emperor and Hungarian leaders reached the Austro-Hungarian Compromise. The agreement created the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary. Both halves had their own parliaments and governments but shared a single monarch, a common foreign policy, and joint ministries for war and finance.

The new arrangement stabilized the empire for several decades and allowed it to continue as one of Europe’s great powers. However, many other nationalitiess and ethnicities within the empire, including Czechs, Slovaks, Croats, Romanians, and Serbs, did not receive the same autonomy as the Hungarians, creating tensions that persisted until the empire’s collapse at the end of the First World War.

The double headed imperial eagle represents that the Hapsburgs saw themselves as successors to the Roman Imperium. The eagle being a symbol of Rome, and the double heads showing the animal facing figuratively both west (back towards Rome) and east.

The Hungarian piece depicts the Crown of Saint Stephen, being carried by angels. The crown was supposedly a gift to a prior king of Hungary from the Byzantine emperor around the year 1000, and is currently sitting in the Hungarian Parliament.

The Batavian Republic was the Dutch sister republic that existed from 1795 to 1806, created after French revolutionary armies invaded the Netherlands and overthrew the old Dutch Republic. Inspired by the ideals of the French Revolution, Dutch reformers known as the Patriots welcomed French support and established a new state allied with the French First Republic.

The Batavian Republic marked a major break from the decentralized Dutch Republic. It introduced a more centralized government (previously the provinces had exercised significant autonomy), sought to modernize administration and taxation, and promoted greater political equality. Although formally independent, it remained heavily influenced by France and was drawn into the wars of the revolutionary and Napoleonic era.

By the early 1800s, French leader Napoleon Bonaparte grew dissatisfied with the republic. In 1806 he dissolved it and replaced it with the Kingdom of Holland, placing his brother Louis Bonaparte on the throne.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Persia found itself in major financial trouble. Led by the Shah Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar (bottom right), the Qajar dynasty started the practice of relying on foreign loans, particularly from the Russian Empire and the United Kingdom. Mozaffar’s reign was marked by growing public dissatisfaction over corruption, economic hardship, and foreign influence. Faced with widespread protests and demands for reform, he signed a constitution in 1906, creating Persia’s first elected parliament (the Majlis) and beginning the Persian Constitutional Revolution. He died only days after approving the constitution, leaving his successor to confront the resulting political upheaval.

His son, Mohammad Ali Shah Qajar opposed constitutional government and sought to restore absolute royal authority. Backed by the Russian government, he ordered the bombardment of the Majlis in 1908 and attempted to crush the constitutional movement by force. His actions sparked a civil war, and constitutionalist forces eventually captured Tehran in 1909. Mohammad Ali Shah was deposed and forced into exile, while his 11 year old son, Ahmad Shah Qajar (top right), was placed on the throne. His failed attempt to reverse constitutional reforms permanently weakened the Qajar monarchy and accelerated its decline.

In 1921, the military officer Reza Khan seized power in a coup and gradually consolidated control. Four years later, the Iranian parliament formally deposed Ahmad Shah Qajar, ending the Qajar Dynasty, and proclaimed Reza Khan as shah, founding the Pahlavi dynasty. In 1930, Ahmad Shah Qajar died in exile in Paris from influenza at age 32.

The Pahlavi dynasty ruled Iran from 1925 until 1979, pursuing rapid modernization, industrialization, and secularization under Reza Shah Pahlavi (bottom left) and later his son, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. While these reforms transformed the country, they also generated widespread opposition from religious leaders, intellectuals, and many ordinary Iranians who resented political repression, corruption, economic inequality, and perceived Western influence. Mass protests erupted in 1978, culminating in the Iranian Revolution. The shah fled Iran in January 1979, and following the return of Ruhollah Khomeini from exile, the monarchy was abolished. A national referendum established the Islamic Republic of Iran, bringing more than 2,500 years of Persian monarchy to an end.

A personal favourite of mine. At the time this was minted, Salzburg was the capital of the Archbishopric of Salzburg, a state within the Holy Roman Empire, and ruled by the Bishop of the City. It features St. Rupert on the reverse, the Patron Saint and legendary founder of the City, carrying a salt box and a crozier. Salzburg (literally “Salt City”) was famous throughout its history for its salt mines, supposedly founded by the Saint himself. The obverse depicts the Virgin Mary carry baby Jesus, above the coat of arms of the Archbishopric.

Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies ruled the Kingdom of Naples from 1830 until his death in 1859. Initially popular for reducing taxes and promoting economic development, he oversaw improvements in roads, industry, and infrastructure, helping make Naples one of the largest and most populous cities in Italy.

His reign became increasingly authoritarian after the revolutions of 1848. When liberals and nationalists demanded constitutional government, Ferdinand reluctantly granted a constitution but soon revoked it after crushing an uprising in Sicily and defeating revolutionary forces. He then ruled through strict censorship, police surveillance, and political repression, earning criticism from liberals across Europe.

Despite his domestic successes, Ferdinand’s resistance to constitutional reform left his kingdom isolated as the movement for Italian unification gained momentum. By the time of Ferdinand’s death in 1859, the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies remained one of the largest Italian states, but its political rigidity left it vulnerable. Just one year later, Giuseppe Garibaldi invaded with the Expedition of the Thousand, leading to the collapse of Bourbon rule and the kingdom’s incorporation into the new Kingdom of Italy.

Bro’s palace in Naples was p nice tho

Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies ruled the Kingdom of Naples from 1830 until his death in 1859. Initially popular for reducing taxes and promoting economic development, he oversaw improvements in roads, industry, and infrastructure, helping make Naples one of the largest and most populous cities in Italy.

His reign became increasingly authoritarian after the revolutions of 1848. When liberals and nationalists demanded constitutional government, Ferdinand reluctantly granted a constitution but soon revoked it after crushing an uprising in Sicily and defeating revolutionary forces. He then ruled through strict censorship, police surveillance, and political repression, earning criticism from liberals across Europe.

Despite his domestic successes, Ferdinand’s resistance to constitutional reform left his kingdom isolated as the movement for Italian unification gained momentum. By the time of Ferdinand’s death in 1859, the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies remained one of the largest Italian states, but its political rigidity left it vulnerable. Just one year later, Giuseppe Garibaldi invaded with the Expedition of the Thousand, leading to the collapse of Bourbon rule and the kingdom’s incorporation into the new Kingdom of Italy.

Purchased from a professional (and I believe reputable) dealer. Weight, dimensions are correct. Passes test for mag and sigma, so confident it is silver. Last pic is a PCGS slabbed example of the same type

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A chunky 2 Thaler from a harder to find German state, with a montage of 15k.

William VIII, was the last ruling duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel in central Germany. Born in Brunswick on 25 April 1806, he was the second son of Frederick William, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel and succeeded to prominence after the political downfall of his elder brother, Charles II, Duke of Brunswick.

In September 1830, rioting spurred by the liberalizing sentiment of the day forced Charles II to flee Brunswick after his palace was burned by the rioters. William arrived shortly afterward and was initially accepted as regent, but in 1831 he was formally recognized as Duke William VIII. Realizing what had caused the downfall of his brother, during his reign, Brunswick adopted a more liberal constitution that granted greater powers to its parliament and limited ducal authority.

Unlike many rulers of his age, William took little direct interest in day-to-day government, leaving most affairs to his ministers while spending much of his time at his estates in Silesia. Nevertheless, his reign brought political stability, and Brunswick joined the North German Confederation in 1866 and later became part of the German Empire in 1871.

William never married and left no legitimate heirs. A succession dispute after his death eventually ended in his great-grandnephew, Ernest Augustus, briefly ruling the duchy in 1913, before all royal title were abolished in the 1919 German Revolution, were the Weimar Republic was established.

From the middle of the French Revolution, this Ecu was probably one of the last struck with the King’s portrait on it. It features the revolutionary calendar (“Year 5 of Liberty”) and shows a fasces and other nationalistic and pro-revolutionary imagery.

After years of having his power stripped away by the revolutionaries, and fearing him and his family’s safety, in June 1791 Louis XVI and his family attempted to flee France to the protection of their allies abroad. They reached as far as Varennes, but had been recognized en route, and were captured and brought back to Paris.

Louis XVI was imprisoned along with his family in August 1792 for trying to flee the country, and was sentenced to death on January 17th, 1793 as an enemy of the Revolution. He was beheaded on January 21, 1793. Presumably when this coin was minted it was already widely assumed that the King was going to die.

This piece came with a vintage tag, indicating that it was struck “Après le mort du roi” or “After the death of the King” but I have found no way to verify if that is correct. After the King’s death, his portrait was removed and the obverse simply read the new denomination of “Six Livres”.