1638, Salzburg, Count Paris von Lodron. Rare Gold Ducat Coin
Mint Year: 1638 Mint Place: Salzburg Denomination: 1 Ducat Ruler: Count Paris von Lodron.Provenance: Lot 914, H. & Aufh., Auction 20, 16 October 2007.Reference: Friedberg 756, Probszt 1120, KM-109 ($2250 in XF!). Very Rare! Weight: 3.42gm Material: Gold!
Obverse: Saint Rupert, wearing episcopal regalia, holding crozier and salt barrel. Legend: SANCT • RVDBERTVS • EPS : SALISB : 1638 Reverse: Cross-topped, mantled, hatted and tasseled oval coat-of-arms within foliage. Legend: PARIS • D : G : ARCHI • EPS • SAL : SE • AP : L :
St. Rupert was the first abbot of Salzburg, from 696 to his death in 718. He is variously considered to be Frankish or Irish, but developed a reputation for holiness while preaching in Worms. Theodo, Duke of Bavaria, sent a request to Rupert to come to Bavaria to instruct him in the faith. Rupert accepted, and baptized Theodo and his entire entourage in the town of Regensburg, where the Duke had traveled in his excitement to meet Rupert.
In the following years, under the patronage of Theodo and his son Theodobert, Rupert spread the Gospel message throughout Bavaria, and suceeded in converting or re-converting whole regions. Rupert asked Theodo for the right to build a church among the ruins of the ancient Roman town of Juvavia. This Theodo granted, and Rupert founded St. Peter’s Church and Abbey and the Nonnburg convent, the oldest continuing monastery and convent in the German-speaking world. Around the Benedictine monks and nuns who accepted Rupert’s call grew the town of Salzburg. To this day, September 24 is marked throughout Austria with a St. Rupert’s Day country fair, Ruperti Kirtag.
The Archbishopric of Salzburg was an ecclesiastical state of the Holy Roman Empire, roughly consisting of the present-day state of Salzburg (the ancient Roman city of Iuvavum) in Austria.
Since 1648, the Archbishop of Salzburg has also borne the title Primas Germaniae (“First [Bishop] of Germania”). The powers of this title – now non-jurisdictional – are limited to being the Pope’s first correspondent in the German-speaking world, but used to include the right to summon the Prince-electors. The Archbishop also has the title of legatus natus (“permanent legate”) to the Pope, which, although not a cardinal, gives the Archbishop the privilege of wearing a cardinal’s scarlet vesture, even in Rome.
In the Holy Roman Empire, the Thaler was used as the standard against which the various states' currencies could be valued.
The Italian-Tyrolean Count Paris von Lodron (1619 to 1653) managed, thanks to his diplomatic talents, to keep Salzburg Land largely intact throughout the Thirty-Years War. The new university of Salzburg was also inaugurated in this period, and named after him.