GERMANY. Augsburg. Stadt. Gustavus Adolphus. King of Sweden, 1611-1632. Taler 1632 (Silver, 44 mm, 29.24 g, 12 h), under Swedish occupation. GVSTAV:ADOLPH: D:G•SVECO:GOTHO:VANDALO:REX•MAG Laureate and cuirassed bust of Gustav Adolf facing slightly to right. Rev. PRINC:FINLAND:DVX - ETHO:ET•CARDOM:ING 16-32 Crowned coat of arms, Pyr below. Ahlström 8. Davenport 4543. Delzanno 308. Forster 240. A highly attractive example with beautiful iridescent toning. Tiny flan faults on the obverse, otherwise, good extremely fine.
In April 1632, during the Thirty Years’ War, Augsburg surrendered to the advancing army of King Gustav Adolf of Sweden, whose troops entered the city without a major battle on 20 April. The Protestant population largely welcomed the Swedish king as a liberator after years of restrictions imposed under the Edict of Restitution. Under Swedish occupation, Augsburg’s mint was placed at Gustav Adolf’s disposal and struck gold and silver coins in his name, including ducats and talers bearing the Swedish royal arms together with the Augsburg pine-cone emblem, as on the example offered here. These issues form a distinctive and short-lived chapter in the city’s coinage under Swedish rule