Order of the Golden Fleece on coins and medals
1. Signs of the Order on coins of the Sovereigns of the Order
here 1b. Continuation
King Philip II - Spanish Habsburgs
Separation of the Order into two branches - Spanish branch - Austrian branch of the Order further on to 2. Order sign on coins of appointed knights or back to Part 1a The Order beginning from Philip the Good up to Charles V |
Philipsdaalder (écu Philippe) 1574, Antwerp. Ø 42 mm, 34,01 g. Dav.8634. Obv.: PHS·D:G:HISPaniarum Z[etc] REX DVX·BRAbantiae 15☝74. ☝ (hand) mint mark of Antwerp. Bust with Golden Fleece on a ribbon on the chest. Rev.: ·DOMINVS:MIHI·ADIVTOR· "The Lord is my helper" St. Andrew's cross, surmounted by the crowned escutcheon. Fire irons with fire stones and sparks on the sides. Under the shield the Golden Fleece hanging at a sparking fire stone.
1/10 écu Philippe, 1584, Tournai. Ø 25 mm, 3,32 g. G.H.213-14; Hoc 291. Obv.: PHS·D:G:HISP·Z·REX·Domini·TORNaci· - Bust left, underneath date 15-84. Rev.: ·DOMINVS:MIHI·ADIVTOR· - Under a crown: Burgundian Cross with hanging fire steel, underneath fire stone with the Golden Fleece attached to it. In between several sparks. |
Carlos I. (Emperor Charles V), 1516-58. 2 Principats (double ducat) 1521, Barcelona. Ø 28 mm, 6,9 g. Cayón 1459 (Type 38); Friedb.35. Obv.: +IOANA ET CARLOLVS REGES ARAGONVM "Joanna and Charles, Kings of Aragon" The crowned busts of Charles and Joanna, between them a sceptre, above a St Andrew's cross behind a fire iron. Rev.: COMITES BARCINONE·P·V·1521 "Counts of Barcelona" Crown in the legend circle, in the field the divided coat of arms: Aragon and Naples (Naples: Jerusalem|Hungary|Sicily).
166 years later that a symbol of the Order appeared again on a Spanish coin: Carlos II., 1665-1700. 8 Escudos 1687, Segovia. Ø 37 mm, 27,00 g. Calico 145; C.T.14; Cayon 7906; Friedb.219. Obv.: CAROLVS - II · D · G Coat of arms surrounded by the chain of the Order, with the Golden Fleece hanging from it. Left: Mintmark Aqueduct (Segovia, roller mill) and monogram BR (guardian). Right: 8 (value indication). Rev.: HISPANIARVM·REX·1687 (7 out of 3 changed on the die). |
The sovereignty of the Order was not tied to ownership of any particular country. According to the statutes, sovereignty passed to the head of the House of Burgundy, i.e. to the next heir in the direct line of the founder of the order. If the sovereign had no male heir, suzerainty passed to the husband of the heiress of the deceased. This happened in 1477 at the death of Charles the Bold and in 1740 at the death of Charles VI.
This territorial independence of the Order has been repeatedly affirmed. When Charles V renounced the Netherlands in favor of his son Philip II in 1555, he granted him the sovereignty of the order through a separate act of abdication. Similarly, Philip II retained the sovereignty of the Order when he ceded rule of the Spanish Netherlands to Albert and Isabella in 1598. |
Ducaton 1703, Antwerp. Ø 42 mm, 32,60 g. v.G./H.365-1b; Delm.354b; W.1095; Dav.1703. Obv.: PHILIPPUS V·D·G·HISPANIARUM ET INDIARUM REX Portrait in ornamental armour, wig and Golden Fleece on the breast. ☝ = hand = mint mark of Antwerp. Rev.: ARCHIDux·AVSTriae· - DVX·BURGundiae· - BRABANtiae·Zc(etc) 17-04· Two lions hold crowned coat of arms of Spanish Netherlands: Above: Castile|León|Granada & Aragón|Sicily. Bottom: Habsburg(bind)|New Burgundy(lilies)|Old Burgundy(slanted stripes)|Flanders(lion)|Tyrol(eagle)|Brabant(lion). Center: three French lilies. Below the coat of arms: on separate chains, the French Order of the Holy Spirit and the Order of the Golden Fleece. The "Archduke" claim title is found as an addition on a subset of the Ducatone minted 1703-4.
The legend on the reverse is otherwise limited to: BURG - DUX - BRABAN.Z.
Patagon 1710, Antwerp. Ø 39 mm, 28,1 g. Delm.359b; Voglh.253; v.G./H.377-1b; Dav.1269. Obv.: CAROLVS III·D·G·HISP·ET INDIARVM REX ☝ (mint mark Antwerp) The Burgundian St. Andrew's cross between two monograms (crowned triple C). A fire steel hangs in the middle of the cross, a crown above it, underneath a fire stone surrounded by 4 small fire steels and sparks, below the Golden Fleece, sparks also between the crown and the central fire steel. Rev.: ARCHID·AVST·DVX - BVRG·BRABANT·Z · 17 - 10· Crowned coat of arms surrounded by the chain of the Order, with the Golden Fleece attached.
|
Fernando VI, 1746-59. 8 Escudos 1753, Lima. Ø 37 mm, 26,97 g. Calico 717; C.T.19; Fr.16. Obv.: FERDinaND·VI·D·G·HISPAN·ET IND·REX - Bust with chain of the Order of the Golden Fleece. The 5 of the date 1753 was accidentally rotated by 180°. Rev.: INITIUM SAPIENTIÆ TIMOR DOMINI "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" Crowned coat of arms surrounded by the chain of Orden of the Golden Fleece. Inserted over the Golden Fleece is the French Order of the Holy Spirit. Between the coat of arms and the order chain: sign J for the guardian in charge, 8 as the value number. Below in the legend: twice ⁕ĹM⁕ for the Lima mint.
Carlos III, 1759-88. 8 Escudos 1778 M-PJ, Madrid. Ø 37 mm, 27,12 g. C./C./T. 8; Fr.282. Obv.: CAROL·III·D·G· - ·HISP·ET IND·R· - ·1778· Bust with Golden Fleece and fire stone as a brooch on the chest. Rev.: ·AUSPICE·DEO· - ·IN·UnTROQue·FELIX· "With God as protector - happy in both worlds, (the old and the new)" Crowned coat of arms surrounded by a Order's chain. The Golden Fleece between the mint marks: crowned M (Madrid) and PJ (guardian).
Isabel II, 1833-68. 20 Reales 1850, Madrid C.L. Ø 35 mm, 26,8 g. CCT.163; Dav.332. Obv.: ISABEL 2a POR LA GRACIA DE DIOS Y LA COBSTITUCION ·1850· "Isabel the Second, by the Grace of God and according to the Constitution"
|
Emperor Charles VI, 1711-1740. Thaler 1716, Vienna. Ø 43 mm, 29,84 g. Dav.1035. Obv.: CAROLus9VI·D·G·RO·IMP·Semper·Augustus·GERmaniae·HISPaniae. - HUngariae BOhemiae REX Laureate bust with alloge wig, draped ceremonial armour with an imperial eagle on the breastplate, order chain with the Golden Fleece hanging on the chest. Rev.: ·ARCHIDVX·AVSTRIÆ·DVX·BVRGundiae·COMes·TYROL·1716 Imperial crown over haloed double eagle. In the claws of the double eagle sword (left) and scepter (right). Crowned breastplate: Castile & New Hungary (above) and Bohemia & Burgundy (below), heart shield: Austria with the archduke's hat. Breastplate surrounded by the order chain with the Golden Fleece.
Emperor Francis I, 1745-65. Thaler 1751 P-R, Prague. Ø 42 mm, 832 fein, 28,12 g. Halačka 1985; Voglh.289; Herinek 146; Dav.1152. Obv.: FRANCiscus·Dei·Gratia·ROmanorum·Imperator·Semper· - Augustus·GErmaniae·IERosolymorum·Rex· LOtharingiae·Burgundiae·Magnus·Hetruriae·Dux· "Francis, by the Grace of God, Roman Emperor, Ruler for ever, King of Germany and Jerusalem (title of claim), Duke of Lorraine and Burgundy, Grand Duke of Etruria (Tuscany)" Armoured and draped bust with laurel wreath and Order of the Golden Fleece as brooch on the chest. Rev.: IN TE DOMINE - SPERAVI·1751·(Burgundian cross) "In you, Lord, I have put my hope" Crowned double-headed eagle with sword and scepter, crowned coat of arms on the breast: coat of arms, above: Old Hungary, Anjou-Naples, Jerusalem, Aragon coat of arms, below: Anjou, Geldern, Jülich, Bar (2 fishes between crosses) heart coat of arms: Lorraine | Tuscany (6 pills) Below the coat of arms the Tuscan Order Cross of St. Stephen on a ribbon. The Fleece Order chain placed around the coat of arms. Next to it in the field: P - R for the Prague mint. Raised border lettering: PRO DEO ET IMPERIO and ornaments.
Emperor Josef II, 1765-90. Order-thaler 1769 A, Vienna. Ø 41 mm, 28,10 g, 833‰ fine. Voglh.294; Dav.1162. Obv.: IOSEPH·II·Dei·Gratia·Romanorum·Imperator·Semper·Augustus· - A - CORregens & HEReditarius·Regnorum·Hungariae·Bohemiae·&c Laureate bust with neckless armor and shoulder lamellae; wide sash with the Great Star of the Royal Hungarian Order of St. Stephen; below the chain of the Order with the Golden Fleece. Rev.: ARCHidux·AUSTriae·Dux·BURGundiae· - LOTHaringiae·Magnus·Dux·HETruriae·1769 ᙭ (᙭ = Burgundian cross) Imperial crown with fluttering ribbons above a haloed double-headed eagle; sword and scepter (left) and orb (right) in the eagle's claws. Breastplate: Hungary|Bohemia (above) and Burgundy|Tuscany (below). Heart shield: Austria|Lorraine with the Archduke's hat. Under the breastplate three orders: the Hungarian Order of St. Stephen on the order chain, below the Order of Maria Theresa on the order ribbon, below the Golden Fleece on its order chain. Mint master's mark IC-SK.
Emperor Francis II, 1792-1806. Kronentaler 1793, Milan. Ø 41 mm, 29,40 g, 873‰ fine. Voglh.307; Dav.1390 Obv.: FRANCISC·II·D·G·R·I·S·A·GER·HIE·HVN·BOH·REX· Rec.: ARCH·AVST·DVX·BVRG·LOTH·BRAB·COM·FLAN·1793· Stylised Burgundian branch cross, in between the imperial crown on top, symbolically the Hungarian royal crown on the left and the Bohemian royal crown on the right. In the centre the fire steel, above it flames, below it attached the fire stone, surrounded by flames, and the Golden Fleece.
|
Literature:
• Charles de Terlinden, Der Orden vom Goldenen Vlies, Wien 1970. - Excerpt as PDF • Friedrich Johannes Kalff, Funktion und Bedeutung des Ordens vom Goldenen Vlies in Spanien vom XVI. bis zum XX. Jh. Dissertation, Bonn 1963 • Annemarie Weber, Der Österreichische Orden vom Goldenen Vlies - Geschichte und Probleme, Dissertation, Bonn 1971 • La Toison d'Or, Catalogue du Exposition, 14.7-30.9.1962, Bruges. |
continuation as Part 2a: appointed knights
Baden - Bavaria - Brunswick & Lueneburg
Palatinate - Palatinate-Neuburg - Palatinate-Bavaria - Fuerstenberg
Overview
Order of the Golden Fleece on coins and medals
1. Sovereigns of the Order
Part 1a : Philip the Good - Emperor Charles V
Part 1b : King Philip II - Spanish / Austrian branch 2. Appointed knights
Part 2a : Baden, Bavaria, Brunswick & Lueneburg, Palatinate, Palatinate-Neuburg, Palatinate-Bavaria, Fürstenberg Part 2b : Poland, Saxony, Rietberg, Wuerttemberg Part 2c : Italy, Spain, ..., Transylvania Part 2d : Austrian new princes |