4 Shilling Bremen (state) Silver

1611, Bremen (Archbishopric), John Frederick. Silver 4 Schilling Coin

Mint Year: 1611

Mint Place: Bremen

Denomination: 4 Schilling

Reference: Jungk 319, Behrens 792, Lange 504, KM-6 ($420 in XF-40!)

Diameter:
17mm

Weight: 1.89gm

Material: Silver

Obverse: Horseman galloping left, holding sword, cross-keys in upper left. Cross in left field, arms of Holstein to right, value (4 SL) below.

Reverse: Abbreviated inscription in four five lines.

Legend: V.G.G. OH. FRID K.B.Z.B.V. L.E.Z.N.H. Z.S.H.

The Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen (German: Fürsterzbistum Bremen) — not to be confused with the modern Archdiocese of Hamburg, founded in 1994 — was an ecclesiastical principality (787–1566/1648) of the Holy Roman Empire and the Catholic Church that after its definitive secularization in 1648 became the hereditary Duchy of Bremen (German: Herzogtum Bremen). The prince-archbishopric, which was under the secular rule of the archbishop, consisted of about a third of the diocesan territory. The city of Bremen was de facto (since 1186) and de jure (since 1646) not part of the prince-archbishopric. Most of the prince-archbishopric lay rather in the area to the north of the city of Bremen, between the Weser and Elbe rivers. Even more confusingly, parts of the prince-archbishopric belonged in religious respect to the neighbouring Diocese of Verden, making up 10% of its diocesan territory.

John Frederick of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp (born 1 September 1579 in Gottorp, a part of today’s Schleswig; died 3 September 1634 in Altkloster [nds], a part of today’s Buxtehude) was the Lutheran Administrator of the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen, the Prince-Bishopric of Lübeck and the Prince-Bishopric of Verden.