Thirty Years’ War
The Thirty Year’s War was a bright spot in a fairly dull
course on Seventeenth Century history. I was interested in the causes of the
war, the ups and downs a different countries joined in and the longer term
consequences. It was a bit like one of those schoolboy fights where everyone
piles in and no-one knows who is fighting whom or why. Sometimes parties were on
wrong side because hated one country more than another.
You can look at it in many ways, a religious war, and an economic
and social fisticuffs or not even a war at all but a series of unconnected wars
which just happened to coincide. One could argue that English Civil War was part
of it. The Stuarts were connected with the war. There are obvious parallels
with Twentieth Century conflicts. It is a sort of genuine Game of Thrones.
Who would not like phrases such as “the defenestration of Prague”
which comes from this period and “Kipper und
Wipper”. This was a term arising from the period of extreme inflation, caused
by trying to fund the fighting.
I have several times thought of collecting coins relating
to the Thirty Years’ War. This covers a wide period and most of Europe and many
religious and political theme.
If you look that up on the internet there are some excellent
guides.
However they tend to concentrate on more expensive coins
and medallions.
Illustrated are some cheaper ones.
Top row; Ferdinand of Austria, silver coin of Besancon on
the Rhine and Archdiocese of Bremen in Germany while occupied by Frederick of Denmark
Middle row: two copper coins of France Cugnon and Dombes
Bottom row: Pope Innocent X and jetton of Richelieu with old coin ticket.
