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The States Inside the Empire
Krause’s Standard Catalog of World Coins has stirred a huge interest in world coins. In the years since 1972, the Krause catalogs have expanded to include world coins back to 1600, as well as catalogs of various branches of exonumia such as so-called world coins and various tokens. The catalogs covering the 17th and 18th centuries consist fully of one-third of the coins of Germany. Now from 800 A.D. (or C.E.) to 1806 most of Central Europe was dominated by an imperial structure known as The Holy Roman Empire. Over that 1006 year period the Empire changed shape and populations. The empire included hundreds of kingdoms, principalities, dukedoms, counties, bishoprics, and free states. By 1806, Napoleon decided that the Holy Roman Empire, ruled by the Arch Duke of Austria, was one great empire too many. So, he abolished it. He elevated the former Holy Roman Emperor Francis II to the throne of the Austrian Empire. Napoleon then organized 39 or so German states into something he called the Confederation of the Rhine. It didn’t last long, but neither did Napoleon. Austria dominated the Germanies until Prussia, the largest of the German States in Central Europe tossed Austria out of Germany in 1866 in the Seven Weeks War. In a mere seven weeks, Prussia crushed Austria then confined her to what became the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy in 1867. Prussia next crushed the French in 1870 and 1871. In the great palace of Louis XIV, Versailles, in the Hall of Mirrors, Prussian’s “Man of Iron” its chancellor Otto von Bismarck proclaimed the second “Reich” or Empire. Bismarck proclaimed that William, King of Prussia, was now Emperor of all Germany. The German word for Emperor is Kaiser or Caesar. As of 1871, there had been as many as 1,800 coin issuing states in the Germanies. By the 1800’s, that number had fallen to 61. For the first time, in 1871, the Germans were united in a single empire without outsiders like the Hungarians, Austrians (southern Germans), or Italians under the new imperial flag. What the empire still had were kingdoms like Bavaria, free cities like Hamburg and Grand Dutchies like Baden. Bismarck was a genius. He allowed all of these states to keep their kings, grand dukes, and free city states. He allowed them to keep their own coinage on the front or obverse, but on the reverse or back of their coins there had to be one common design featuring the imperial German Imperial coat of arms and the words “Deutsches Reich” or “German Empire.” All of the minor states could keep their courts presided over by the minor royal houses. These states could also issue their own stamps, but all kings, grand dukes, and free cities owed their primary allegiance to their overlord, the Emperor of Germany, who was also by the way, the King of Prussia. The coins of Prussia boldly stated on the obverse the name of the king-emperor followed by “Deutscher Kaiser Konig von Preussen.” This translates to German Emperor (and) King of Prussia. The various German states were allowed to keep their own legislatures. They were also allowed to send delegates to the national legislature on Reichstag. This parliament could make laws, but were subject to an imperial veto. The German emperor was almost absolute. Wilhelm I and Frederick III (who ruled only 99 days) ruled wisely with restraint guided by Chancellor, now Prince, Otto von Bismarck. 1888 was a pivotal year. William I, 91 years old, was dead. He had fought Napoleon at Waterloo under Marshall Blacher and had ruled Prussia since 1861. He was the first Emperor of the Second Reich, as soldier, and a statesman. Frederick III was a soldier, a political liberal, and knew that his 29 year old son was just a tad crackers. He also had cancer and died of it 99 days after his reign began. William II had a deformed arm for which he overcompensated with a bombastic personality which frightened everybody including his mother, The Empress Frederick (Victoria Junior), who was the oldest daughter of Queen Victoria. Victoria, Queen-Empress of Britain, the Empire, and India, was the one person William II either respected or feared. To Victoria, the German Kaiser was her dear little Willie. He didn’t seem to mind this. He really loved Granny, but not Uncle Eddy. It was curious that William II spoke flawless English with an Oxfordian upper class clipped accent whereas Edward VII, who succeeded Victoria in 1901, spoke with a slight German accent. No doubt he had gotten this from his father, Albert of Saxe-Coberg-und-Gotha, husband a beloved consort of Victoria. William II was given to rages, tears, and physically lashing out at his officers and officials. For a while he was even his own chancellor. After Russia, ruled by his cousin Nicky (great-grandson of Victoria) attacked Austria (which had attacked Slavic Serbia), William declared war on Russia and France. When Willie invaded Belgium, this constituted a violation of the Treaty of London which had been signed by Prussia in 1839 and guaranteed the neutrality of that little nation. Britain declared war on Germany and the planet was off to the races. World War I was on and it was to last over four years. At its conclusion on November 11, 1918, William II was in the Netherlands under the protection of his niece Whihelmina Queen of that little country. He would live out his days at the Castle at Dorne. The deposed emperor had two passions. One was chopping down trees (an entire forest of them). The other hobby he had was writing historical papers which he delivered to the Historical Society of Dorne. The Second Reich had lasted from 1871 to 1918, a total of 47 years. During that period, William II had ruled 30 years and told exactly one joke. It was a pretty good joke both clever and sophisticated. When he heard that his cousin George of England changed the family name of the Royal family of England from Saxe Coberg und Gotha to Windsor, William remarked, “I suppose now we will have to go to see The Merry Wives of Saxe Cobug und Gotha.” William did have two pen pals as ex-emperor. they were President and former Field Marshall Paul von Hindenburg and later Adolf Hitler. William II’s second wife, no longer protected by him after his death in 1941, died in a concentration camp. his sons served the Third Reich, but for the 30 years of his reign 1888-1918, the German states minted their own coins in his empire. Krause now publishes a German catalog. The Germans minted almost a third of all the coins minted in Europe from 1450 to 1918. It is a great area to collect. If you want to catch up with me in January of 2007, I’ll be at Ernie Botte’s Auburn Show on Sunday, January 14 at the Elk’s Hall in Auburn on Rt. 12 right next to the Hampton Inn. Show hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Rt. 12 is right off the Mass. Turnpike at Exit 10. I’ll be at Ernie Botte’s Westford Coin Show at the Westford Regency Inn on Sunday, January 28. To get there, take Rt. 495 to Exit 32. Ten proceed to Rt. 110, and the Westford Regency Inn is right on Rt. 110. Show hours are from 9 a.m to 3 p.m. I’ll see you there. Happy New Year! |
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