GERMANY. Rostock. Stadt. Taler 1609 (Silver, 42 mm, 28.40 g, 12 h). ✱•MONETA•NOUA•ROSTOCHIENSIS•609• Griffin rampant left. Rev. RVDOL•II•D:G•RO•IM•SEM•AVGVSTV•P•F•D Crowned double eagle with globus cruciger on its chest. Davenport 5778. Kunzel 63 A/a. Very rare and beautifully toned. Minor marks and doubling on the reverse, otherwise, very fine.


This imposing coin is a testament to a brief but prosperous period in the history of the Hanseatic city of Rostock, a time marked by dizzying wealth. The intense conflicts with the Dukes of Mecklenburg were settled in 1584. From then on, the city’s merchants were free to flourish, helping an autonomous Rostock achieve a level of prosperity that even overshadowed the city's medieval heyday. However, the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) brought an end to this period of strong prosperity.