¼ Thaler - John Frederick I Siege coinage

Minted during the siege of the city of Leipzig.

Engel/Fabre/Perret/Wattier 4.1.12.16

Duke Moritz of Saxony left the Schmalkaldic League in 1542 and maneuvered between the Protestant and imperial sides for several years. In 1546 the Protestant prince formally changed sides and joined Emperor Charles V. After the imperial ban was imposed on his Ernestine relative, Elector Johann Friedrich, Maurice invaded Electoral Saxony. Leipzig also fell into his hands in the course of this military operation. But Johann Friedrich soon appeared in front of the city with a military force and began the siege on January 5, 1547. The defenders quickly developed an increased need for money, which was to be covered by minting emergency cliffs made of gold and silver, since the mercenaries commanded by the city commander Bastian von Wallwitz had to be paid with good money. In particular, the silver tableware and church utensils belonging to the Merseburg Monastery, which had been stored in Leipzig before the war for security reasons, were minted. For this purpose, the available precious metal equipment was melted down by goldsmiths and craftsmen in the city, cast into zainen, cut into cliff-shaped planchets and finally minted into emergency money. The cliffs bear the name and title of Duke Maurice and the ducal Saxon diamond shield in initials. The enemy lifted the siege on January 27th because an imperial relief army was approaching the city.