Happy New Year
Three wise men of Cologne
On June 9, 1164, Frederick I issued a certificate
conferring the ownership of the relics of the Three Magi to the Archbishop of
Cologne which were transferred to the Cologne Cathedral on July 23, 1164. In
medieval times, the possession of such a relic was a strong argument for the
German king to be the only true emperor and thus of higher rank than all the
other European rulers. The fact that Frederick I owned their relics underlined
heaven’s appreciation for him. The possession of those relics brought lots of
pilgrims to Cologne.
City of Cologne. Gold strike at 4 gold florins from the
dies of the Dreikönigstaler [Three Magi taler], no year (around 1620).
Extremely rare. Very fine. Estimate: 50,000 euros. From Künker auction 313
(October 9, 2018), No. 3724.
The coin shows the key scene of Saint Ursula’s legend, as
it has been established since the 13th century. In the centre of a boat going
up the river Rhine towards Cologne, we see Saint Ursula, wearing a crown. To
her left, elaborately dressed, is Prince Aetherius. He had promised to get
baptized after the three years’ waiting period. Together with his bride-to-be,
he had gone on a pilgrimage to Rome, where the two of them were joined by Pope
Cyriacus. We see him with a tiara and a processional cross to Saint Ursula’s
right. The coin depicts the moment of the attack by the pagan besiegers of
Cologne: While the prince protectively covers his body with his arms, the holy
virgin is praying to God, supported by the brave pope who brings the Christian
message to the land of the unbelievers.
Cologne. 1688 Vacancy of the See. Reichstaler 1688. Very rare. Extremely fine. 4,000 euros. From Künker auction 313 (October 9, 2018), no. 3634.
During the French occupation, the relics of the Three Magi
were evacuated to the free town of Deutz. Only after Napoleon’s Concordat with
the Catholic Church, they returned to their usual place on January 6, 1804.
Source
https://www.kuenker.de/en/information/presseinformationen/aktuelle-mitteilungen/206
Accessed 02 01 2024
images by kind permission of Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH &
Co. KG, Osnabrück“. Lübke & Wiedemann KG, Leonberg“ owner of the coin images
http://www.kuenker.com
