Among the many intriguing coins offered in the June Collectors Choice Auction of World and Ancient coins is a Sede Vacante Taler from the bishopric of Regensburg graded NGC MS-65 Prooflike. Regensburg’s religious status during the early modern period was very muddled, as reflected by this piece. The Protestant Reformation started with Martin Luther in Wittenberg in 1517. Regensburg adopted Protestantism shortly thereafter in 1542, and a majority of its citizenry quickly adopted Lutheranism as their religion. There did remain a Roman Catholic minority in the city, though they were deprived of civil rights. Despite this, the city maintained a Roman Catholic Bishop and several monasteries within the city. It was this remaining bishopric that led to the example offered in the June Auction. When a bishopric is left vacant without a bishop the situation is known as "Sede Vacante". Often during the 17th and 18th centuries this situation was marked by a quasi-medallic coin being issued, many with an intricate and beautiful design. The piece offered in our June CCO displays St. Peter in a boat surrounded by 15 shields and an inscription on the reverse. The city of Regensberg was appointed a new bishop, Joseph Konrad von Schroffenberg, in 1790 ending the period of sede vacante. This world crowns not only tells an interesting story, but also exhibits a phenomenal design.
This lot, along with over 2,000 other World and Ancient coins, is available for viewing and bidding at Stacksbowers.com. We are always seeking world and ancient coins, medals, and paper money for our auctions, and are currently accepting consignments for our August 2022 Global Showcase Auction and our October Collectors Choice Online (CCO) sale. If you would like to learn more about consigning, whether a singular item or an entire collection, please contact a consignment director or email [email protected] today and we will assist you in achieving the best possible return on your material.
