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Albert of Brandenburg
- Archbishop of Magdeburg and Mayence 1514-45 -
Albert, *1490, Margrave of Brandenburg, became Archbishop of Magdeburg in 1513 and of Mayence in 1514 without having studied theology. In order to gain the pope's agreement to holding more than one diocese, contrary to church law, Albert made a large contribution to the rebuilding of St. Peter's in Rome. These funds, borrowed from the banking house of Fugger, were to be repaid by selling indulgences. Luther condemned this practice in his famous Ninety-five Theses in 1517. In 1518 Albert became cardinal. His vote for Charles V as emperor was well paid in 1519. Albert was a religious liberal, but late in life he promoted the Counter-Reformation in Germany.


Cast silver medal 1515.     Ø 50 mm, 52,50 g.  exposed in room 244, Bode Museum Berlin.
and in the Online Catalogue of the Coin Cabinet, Berlin.
Obv.:   ALBertus ARCHIepiscopus PRImas ET PRINcwps ELECror MARchio BRAndenburgicus
Bust with beret and necklace.
Rev.:   IN - POTENTATIBVS·S - ALVS - DEX - TERA·DOMINI·AN - NO - MD - XV
"The hand of the Lord helps with power [psalm 20, 7] date 1515".
Coat of arms with eight fields: Szczecin, Brandenburg, Pomerania, Kaschuben, Wenden, Zollern and Nuremberg; topped with three heart shields: Mainz, Magdeburg and Halberstadt.
Three crosiers behind, looking out at the top and the bottom of the shield.


Cast bronze medal n. d. (1518) by Hans Schwarz.     Ø 74 mm.   Habich I,1 113; Kastenholz 21.
Specimen from Coin Cabinet KHM Vienna, Inv.No.96bß   published in Vorbild, Austausch, Konkurrenz.
Obv.: ❂ SIC·ILLE·GENAS·OCVLOS·SIC·ORA·FEREBAT·ETATIS·XXVIII
"His cheeks and eyes, his outline at the age of 28"  -  Effigy with biretta to the left.
Rev.: ❂ ALBERTus·SAcrae·ROmanae·ECclesiae·PRESByter·CARDinalis·ARCHIEPiscopus·MAGdeburgensis· BI(et?)·MAYD(Mayance?)·PRINceps
❂ ELECTor·PRImas·GERmanea·EPISCopus·HALBerstadiensis·Z(et)·MARCHio·BRANDENburgensis
Cardinal's hat with tassels over a coat of arms with four fields (Brandenburg, Pomerania, Nuremberg, Zollern) and a central shield (Magdeburg, Mainz and Halberstadt), crossed crook and sword behind.
An associated draft drawing 21x15cm has been preserved in the state Coin Cabinet Berlin.
A real "portrait fever" broke out among the participants at the diet in Augsburg 1518/19. Albrecht Dürer was very busy. Hans Schwarz received 19 orders for medals. High-ranking participants had discovered a new medium of representation.
[Ruth Hausmann in: http://resikom.adw-goettingen.gwdg.de/MRK/SH12.htm]


Uniface stuck of the double Guldengroschen 1524.     (see Dav. 9425)
SIC·OCVLOS·Sic·ILLE Genas·Sic·ORA·FEREBat   "Such eyes, such cheeks, such appearance"


Thaler, 1525, Magdeburg.     Ø 41mm     v.Schr.63   Dav.9428/30
Obv.:   ALBERTus·CARDInalis·ARCHIEpiscopus·MAGDeburgensis·
"Albert, Cardinal Archbishop of Magdeburg"
Coat of arms: Brandenburg, Pommern-Stettin (griffin), Nuremberg, Hohenzollern
on it a central shield: Archdiocese Magdeburg and Mayance (wheel), diocese Halberstadt.
Sword and crook stick crossed behind the coat of arms. Above the cardinal's hat.
Rev.:   DOMINVS MIHI·ADIVTOR·QVEM·TIMEbo (mm.)
"The Lord is my helper, whom shall I fear?"
The model for the portrait was an engraving [18x13 cm], made by Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528) during the diet at Nuremberg in 1523.


Cast silver medal 1526, Nürnberg, by Matthes Gebel.     Ø 43,5mm, 32,11g.   Habich I,2,923.
Obv.:   DOMINVS·MIHI·ADIVTOR·QVEM·TIMEBO·ANNo·ÆTATis·XXXVII·
"God is my advice. Whom shall I fear? At the age of 37"  -  Bust with beret to the right.
Note the high relief of the front side, the casting technique allows.
Rev.:   ·ALBERTus·CARDinalis·MOGuntinus·ARCHIEPiscopus·MAGDdegurgensis·HALBerstatt·ADM· MARCHio·BRANDenburgensis·ZC MDXXVI
Title of Albert [Moguntiacum = Mayence] and date
Cardinal's hat over coat of arms with central shield (Magdeburg, Mayance and Halberstadt),
crossed crook and sword behind.


Portable gilded cast silver medal 1535 by H. Reinhart the elder     Ø 61 mm, 55,44 g.
Habich II,1 1941.
Obv.:   DOMINVS¤MIHI¤ADIVTOR¤QVEM¤TIMEBO¤ANN¤AEAT⁕45⁕
"God is my help, who should I fear? At the age of 45"
Effigy with Birett, in the section the signature ·HR·.
Rev.:   ALBERT◦CARD◦MOG◦ARCHIEP◦MAGD◦HALB◦ADM◦MARC◦BRAND◦ZC⁕1535⁕
Cardinal's hat over a shield with fifteen fields and a small central shield.
A sword and a crosier crossed behind the shield, on the sides St. Barbara and St. Maurice as shield holders.


Thaler, 1536, Magdeburg.     Ø 41mm     Schulten 1910   Dav.9432
Obv.:   ALBERTus·CARDInalis·ARCHIEpiscopus·MAGDeburgensis·
Rev.:   DOMINus:MIHI·ADIVTOR·QVEM·TIMEBo 1536 (mm.)

The cardinal loved to give away his own portrait. So he became an important customer of commemorative coins and medals. For his self-glorification, he also employed eminent painters such as Lucas Cranach, Albrecht Dürer and Matthias Grünewald.


Cast lead medal 1537.     Ø 43,8 mm.     Habich II,I 1857.
Obv.:   DOMIMVS·MIHI·ADIVTOR·QVEM·TIMBO·ÆTAT·XLVIII
Bust half-left with baret, based on a design by Lucas Cranach. Next to the neck collector's star.
Rev.:   ALBERTVS·CARDINALIS·ET·ARCHI·EPVS·MOGVNT·ANNO·M·D·XXXVII
Compare the Portrait from 1543 by the workshop of Lucas Cranach the Elder, Oil on wood, Inv.No.304.
(landesmuseum-mainz.de).

The outer wreath on the revers appears in the following smaller medal on the obverse.


Cast silver medal 1537.     Ø 31,9 mm.     Habich II,I, 1858.
Obv.:   ✱DNVS:MIHI·ADIVTOR·QVEM·TIMEBO ANNO ÆTATIS XL VIII  -  Effigy left.
Rev.:   ✱ALBERTVS·CARDINALIS·ET·ARCHI·EPiscopVS·MOGVNTiae·ANNO·M·D·XXXVII
Cardinal's hat, shield, crossed sword and crook behind.


Thaler 1540, Magdeburg.     Ø 40 mm     v.Schr.93; Dav.9433.
ALBERT·CARDI·ARCHIE·MAGD·   //   DOMIN:MIHI·ADIVTOR·QVEM·TIMEB·1540 (mm.)
The late Thalers 1537-42 made use of the effigy from the younger Albert.

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