German States Coins 2 Vereinsthaler 1861 King Johann of Saxony
Obverse: Head of Johann of Saxony.
Legend: "JOHANN V. G. G. KOENIG V. SACHSEN."
Exergue: Letter "B," Mint-mark of Dresden.
Reverse: Two lions supporting crowned shield bearing the arms of Saxony, beneath a scroll with: "PROVIDENTIAE MEMOR." inscribed upon; the whole surrounded by a raised double circle, inside of which the Legend: "ZWEI VEREINS THALER" (a fancy arabesque), "XV EIN PFUND FEIN," and the date of the year of issue, as Exergue, between two stars.
Saxonian motto Providentiae Memor - "Providence Remember".
Weight: 571.568 grains. Fineness: 900.
Value: 2 Vereinsthaler = 1/15 Metric Pound.
Metal: Silver (.900).
Weight: 37.037 g.
Diameter: 40 mm.
Shape: Round.
Saxon vereinsthaler
The Vereinsthaler was the currency of Saxony between 1857 and 1873. It replaced the Thaler at par and was replaced by the Mark at a rate of 1 Vereinsthaler = 3 Mark. The Vereinsthaler was subdivided into 30 Neugroschen, each of 10 Pfennig.
Vereinsthaler
The Vereinsthaler ("union" thaler) was a standard silver coin used in most German states and the Austrian Empire in the years before German unification.
The Vereinsthaler was introduced in 1857 to replace the previous standard Thaler (based on the Prussian Thaler) which was very slightly heavier. While the earlier Thaler had contained one fourteenth of a Cologne mark of silver (16.704 grams), the Vereinsthaler contained 16⅔ grams of silver, which was indicated on the coins as one thirtieth of a metric pound (pfund, equal to 500 grams).
The Vereinsthaler was used as the base for several different currencies. In Prussia and several other northern German states, the Vereinsthaler was the standard unit of account, divided into 30 Silbergroschen, each of 12 Pfennig. See Prussian Vereinsthaler.
In Saxony, the Neugroschen was equal to the Prussian Silbergroschen but was divided into 10 Pfennig. See Saxon Vereinsthaler. Some other north German states, such as Hanover, used the name Groschen rather than Silbergroschen for a coin of 12 Pfennig (see Hanoverian Vereinsthaler), while the Mecklenburg states and Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel) used entirely distinct subdivisions (see Mecklenburg Vereinsthaler and Hesse-Kassel Vereinsthaler.
In southern Germany, states including Bavaria used the Gulden as the standard unit of account, with 1¾ Gulden = 1 Vereinsthaler. The Gulden was divided into 60 Kreuzer, each of 4 Pfennig or 8 Heller. See Bavarian Gulden, Baden Gulden, Württemberg Gulden.
In the Austrian Empire (and later the Austro-Hungarian Empire), a different Gulden (also known as the Florin or, in Hungarian, Forint) was the unit of account, with 1½ Gulden = 1 Vereinsthaler. The Gulden was divided into 100 Kreuzer.
German unification saw the introduction of the Goldmark at a rate of 3 mark = 1 Vereinsthaler. Consequently, the new 10 pfennig coins were equivalent to the old Groschen of northern Germany and this became a nickname for the denomination. The Vereinsthaler coins continued to circulate as 3 mark coins until 1908, when they were replaced with smaller 3 mark coins. The name Thaler for 3 marks persisted until the 1930s.
Austria-Hungary stopped issuing Vereinsthaler coins in 1867, following the Austro-Prussian War.
John of Saxony
John (full name: Johann Nepomuk Maria Joseph Anton Xaver Vincenz Aloys Franz de Paula Stanislaus Bernhard Paul Felix Damasus) (German: Johann; 12 December 1801 – 29 October 1873) was a King of Saxony and a member of the House of Wettin.
He was born in Dresden, the third son of Maximilian, Prince of Saxony — younger son of the Elector Frederick Christian of Saxony — by his first wife, Caroline of Bourbon, Princess of Parma.
During most of his life, John stood little chance of inheriting the Saxon Crown: he was preceded by his father and two older brothers, Frederick Augustus and Clement. However, in 1822 Clement died unmarried in Italy, and John was now only preceded in the line of succession by his older brother Frederick Augustus.
When his uncle Anton succeeded his older brother as king (1827), John became the third in line to the throne, and after his father Maximilian renounced his succession rights in 1830, John became in the second in line. John's older brother became King Frederick Augustus II in 1836; now he was the first in line of succession to the throne. The King, married twice, was childless. John remained as heir presumptive during all the reign of his brother.
King of Saxony
John became King of Saxony after the death of his brother Frederick Augustus II on 9 August 1854.
The Judiciary Organization of 1855, the extension of the railroad network, the introduction of the freedom of trade are attributed mainly to his suggestion and promotion. Under his government, came the acceptance of the French Commercial Treaty (1862) and the acknowledgment of a contract with Italy. He exerted himself under influence of his minister Friedrich Ferdinand von Beust for the Great Germany Solution (de: Großdeutsche Lösung) of the imperial arrangement (under inclusion of Austria). In 1866 Saxony fought on the Austrian side in the Austro-Prussian War. Finally, after the defeat of the Battle of Königgrätz, Saxony joined the North German Confederation and in 1871 the German Empire under the hegemony of the Kingdom of Prussia. The King died two years later, aged seventy-one.
Beyond his political work, Johann was busy with literature. Under the pseudonym Philalethes he translated to German the Dante's Divine Comedy; some parts of this work were placed in the Schloss Weesenstein. The Dresden district of Johannstadt was named after him.