City of Nuremberg

Description

Ducats were struck in Nuremberg from 1632 and from the very beginning the images on them illustrated the deep longing for peace during the Thirty Years' War. In a similar vein peace treaties were also celebrated with gold and silver coins. The 1698 thaler shows Pax (the goddess of peace) in antique style with two genii at her feet supporting the two coats of arms of the city. The legend refers to the Treaty of Ryswick, concluded in 1697 and briefly successful in creating a balance of power in Europe. The year 1697 appears as a chronogram: in the legend letters picked out in a larger typeface combine to form the Roman numerals. Its thaler, multiples of the thaler and gold struck to the value of ducats as well as actual ducats attest to the self-confidence of the free imperial city of Nuremberg: it produced not only ordinary coins, but also sought after presentation coins.