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1883, Germany. Beautiful Martin Luther 400th Birth Anniversary Medal. AU-UNC!

Mint Year: 1883 Medallist: L. Chr. Lauer Condition: Lightly toned, otherwise XF-AU! Denomination: Medal - 400th Anniversary of the Birth of Martin Luther Material: copper-nickel alloy (so-called "GERMAN SILVER", not real silver!) Weight: 12.14gm Diameter: 30mm

Obverse: Capped bust of Martin Luther 3/4 right. Legend: + DOCTOR MARTIN LUTHER GEB : 1483 * GEST : 1546 Reverse: Winged female draped figure behind coat-of-arms containgin cross flanked by a rose and a heart. Legend: 400 JÄHRIGE LUTHER FEIER Translation: "400th Anniversary Festivities!"

The Protestant Reformation, also known as the Protestant Revolt, was led by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers" who objected to ("protested") the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Catholic Church, led to the creation of new national Protestant churches. This was encouraged by the series of events such as the black death or Great Schism, that led to the loss of people's faith in the church. This plus many other factors contributed to the growth of lay criticism in the church, and the creation of the Protestant Religion. The Catholics responded with a Counter-Reformation, led by the Jesuit order, which reclaimed large parts of Europe, such as Poland. In general, northern Europe, with the exception of Ireland and pockets of Britain, turned Protestant, and southern Europe remained Catholic, while fierce battles that turned into warfare took place in central Europe. The largest of the new denominations were the Anglicans (based in England), the Lutherans (based in Germany and Scandinavia), and the Reformed churches (based in Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Scotland). There were many smaller bodies as well. The most common dating begins in 1517 when Luther published The Ninety-Five Theses, and concludes in 1648 with the Treaty of Westphalia that ended years of European religious wars.

Martin Luther (10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation; for which he stands as herold. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment of sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517. His refusal to retract all of his writings at the demand of Pope Leo X in 1520 and the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V at the Diet of Worms in 1521 resulted in his excommunication by the pope and condemnation as an outlaw by the Emperor.

Luther taught that salvation is not earned by good deeds but received only as a free gift of God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ as redeemer from sin. His theology challenged the authority of the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church by teaching that the Bible is the only source of divinely revealed knowledge and opposed sacerdotalism by considering all baptized Christians to be a holy priesthood. Those who identify with Luther's teachings are called Lutherans.

His translation of the Bible into the language of the people (instead of Latin) made it moreaccessible, causing a tremendous impact on the church and on German culture. It fostered the development of a standard version of the German language, added several principles to the art of translation, and influenced the translation into English of the King James Bible. His hymns influenced the development of singing in churches. His marriage to Katharina von Bora set a model for the practice of clerical marriage, allowing Protestant priests to marry.

In his later years, while suffering from several illnesses and deteriorating health, Luther became increasingly antisemitic, writing that Jewish homes should be destroyed, their synagogues burned, money confiscated and liberty curtailed. These statements have contributed to his controversial status.