(sold for $201.0)

1538, Saxony, John Frederick "the Magnanimous". Early-Dated Silver Thaler Coin. Rare!

Mint Year: 1537 Mint Place: Annaberg Denomination: Thaler State: Saxony (Ernestine Line) Reference: Davenport 9721,  Schnee 72, MB#199. RR! Ruler: John Frederick I "the Magnanimous" & George  (1534-1539) Condition: Greyish incrustations (environmental damage) in obverse, XX-shaped graffiti marking in reverse, otherwise VF-XF! Weight: 28.80gm Diameter: 40mm Material: Silver

Obverse: Bearded bust of George left, date in legend. Four shields around splitting legend. Legend: * GEOR (lion) DVX . SA (eagle) X . FIE . F (gryphon) . A . 1538 (arms of Saxony)

Reverse: Bust of John Frederick "the Magnanimous" right, shouldering sword. Four shields around splitting legend. Legend:  IOHAN (gryphon) FRI . EL (arms of Meissen) EC . DVX  (shield of Saxony) SAX . F . F (arms of Thuringia)

For your consideration, an early-dated silver thaler, struck in 1538 during the reign of John Frederick I (and George), is widely known as "John the Magnanimous", who was head of the Protestant Confederation of Germany (the Schmalkaldic League). A quite rare and important early-dated thaler!

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John Frederick I, Elector of Saxony (German: Johann Friedrich I; b. Torgau, 30 June 1503 – d. Weimar, 3 March 1554), called John the Magnanimous, was Elector of Saxony and Head of the Protestant Confederation of Germany (the Schmalkaldic League), "Champion of the Reformation".

John Frederick was the eldest son of John, Elector of Saxony by his first wife, Sofie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. His mother died fourteen days after his birth, on 12 July 1503.

He received his education from George Spalatin,  whom he highly esteemed during his whole life. Spalatin was Martin  Luther's friend and advisor and thus, through Spalatin's schooling,  John developed a devotion to the teachings of Martin Luther. His  knowledge of history was comprehensive, and his library, which extended  over all sciences, was one of the largest in Germany.

He cultivated a personal relationship with Martin Luther,  beginning to correspond with him in the days when the bull of  excommunication was hurled against the Reformer, and showing himself a  convinced adherent of Luther. With vivid interest he observed the  development of the reformatory movement. He eagerly read Luther's  writings, urged the printing of the first complete (Wittenberg) edition  of his works, and in the latter years of his life promoted the  compilation of the Jena edition. At the Elector castle at Torgau, he  constructed a chapel specifically designed to be a Lutheran place of  worship and invited Martin Luther to deliver the inaugural sermon.

His father introduced him into the political and diplomatic affairs  of the time, and he conducted the first negotiations of a treaty with Hesse in Kreuzburg and Friedewald. He took an active part in the disturbances caused by the Pack affair (see John the Steadfast), and Luther was grateful to him for his exertions, in spite of his youth, for the maintenance of peace.

During the second diet of Speyer (1529) he temporarily assumed the reins of government in place of his father. The intrigues of Archduke Ferdinand induced him after the diet to draw up a federal statute for the  Evangelical estates, which shows that he was more decidedly convinced  of the right and duty of defense than his father. He accompanied the  latter to the Diet of Augsburg in 1530, signed with him the Augsburg Confession and was active in the proceedings. His attitude did not remain unnoticed, and won him the emperor's dislike.

In 1532, John Frederick succeeded his father as elector. In the beginning he reigned with his half-brother, John Ernest, but in 1542 became sole ruler.

Chancellor Brück, who for years had guided the foreign relations of  the country with ability and prudence, remained also his councilor, but  his open and impulsive nature often led him to disregard the  propositions of his more experienced adviser, so that the country was  in frequent danger, especially as John Frederick was not a far-sighted  politician.

He consolidated the State Church by the institution of an electoral  consistory (1542) and renewed the church visitation. He took a firmer  and more decided stand than his father in favor of the Schmalkaldic League,  but on account of his strictly Lutheran convictions was involved in  difficulties with the Landgrave of Hesse, who favored a union with the  Swiss and Strasburg Evangelicals. He was averse to all propositions of  Popes Clement VII and Paul III to support calling a General Council,  because he was convinced that it would only serve "for the preservation  of the papal and anti-Christian rule"; but to be prepared for any  event, he requested Luther to summarize all articles to which he would  adhere before a council, and Luther wrote the Schmalkald Articles. At the Diet of Schmalkald in 1537 the council was refused, and the elector treated the papal legate with open disregard and rejected the propositions of Dr. Held, the imperial legate.

He followed the efforts at agreement at the conference of Regensburg in 1541 with suspicion and refused to accept the article on justification which had been drawn up under the supervision of Gasparo Contarini to suit both parties, and Luther, his steady adviser, confirmed him in  his aversion. The efforts at agreement failed, and the elector  contributed not a little to broaden the gulf by his interference in the  ecclesiastical affairs of Halle and by aiding the Reformation which had been introduced there by Justus Jonas. His attitude became more and more stubborn and regardless of consequences, not to the advantage of the Protestant cause.

In spite of the warnings of the emperor, of Brück, and of Luther, he arbitrarily set aside in 1541 the election of Julius von Pflug to the see of Naumburg, instituted Nicolaus von Amsdorf as bishop, and introduced the Reformation. In 1542 he expelled Duke Henry of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel from his country to protect the Evangelical cities Goslar and Brunswick and introduced the Reformation there. New war-like entanglements hindered Charles V from interfering and by apparently yielding he succeeded in concealing  his true intentions. The elector appeared personally at the diet of Speyer in 1544. The harmony of the emperor with the Evangelicals appeared never greater than at that time. He permitted the Regensburg declaration of 1541 to be embodied in the new recess and acknowledged all innovations which  the Evangelicals had made between 1532 and 1541 because he needed the  aid of the Protestants against France. John Frederick actually thought  that peace had come and continued the ecclesiastical reforms in his  country. Even the growing discord among the allies did not disturb him.

When the Schmalkald War broke out in 1546, he marched to the south at the head of his troops, but the unexpected invasion of his country by his cousin Duke Maurice compelled him to return. He succeeded in reconquering the larger part  of his possessions and repelling Maurice, but suddenly the emperor  hastened north and surprised the elector. The Battle of Mühlberg,  24 April 1547, went against him and dispersed his army. He received a  slashing wound to the left side of his face, leaving him with a  disfiguring scar from his lower eye socket down his cheek. He was taken  prisoner by Charles V and sent into exile in Worms.

Emperor Charles V condemned him to death as a convicted rebel; but, not to lose time in  the siege of Wittenberg, which was defended by Sybille, the wife of the  elector, he did not execute the sentence and entered into negotiations.  To protect and save his wife and sons, and to prevent Wittenberg from  being destroyed, John Frederick conceded the Capitulation of Wittenberg, and, after having been compelled to resign the government of his country in favor of Maurice of Saxony, his condemnation was changed into imprisonment for life.

He was never greater and more magnanimous than in the days of his  captivity, as is evident from the correspondence with his children, his  wife, and his councilors. Friends and foes were compelled to  acknowledge his calm behavior, his unwavering faith, and his greatness  under misfortune. He steadfastly refused to renounce the Protestant  faith or to acknowledge the Augsburg Interim,  declaring that by its acceptance he would commit "a sin against the  Holy Ghost, because in many articles it was against the Word of God".  Though offered several opportunities to be set free, if he would but  compromise his faith and convictions, he steadfastly refused, and urged  his sons to remain strong and faithful.

The sudden attack upon the emperor by Elector Maurice made an end of  John Frederick's imprisonment, and he was released on 1 September 1552.  He firmly refused to bind himself to comply in matters of religion with  the decisions of a future council or diet, declaring that he was  resolved to adhere until his grave to the doctrine contained in the  Augsburg Confession. His homeward journey was a triumphal march. He  removed the seat of government to Weimar and reformed the conditions of  his country, but died within two years. A special object of his care  was the University of Jena, which he planned in place of Wittenberg, which he had lost (1547). He died in Weimar, Germany.