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Holy Roman Empire, City of Nuremberg, 1/4 Ducat

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Holy Roman Empire, City of Nuremberg, 1/4 Ducat (obverse) Holy Roman Empire, City of Nuremberg, 1/4 Ducat (reverse)

The Lamb of God, the Agnus Dei, was minted on coins of the Christian world since the 12th century. The city of Nuremberg issued coins with the Agnus Dei too; thesy were colloquially called "lamb-ducats." Nuremberg minted the first lamb-ducats in 1632 to express its desire for peace during the horrible Thirty Years' War (1618-1648). When the war actually came to an end, the city issued another series (Peace of Westphalia 1648). In 1700, Nuremberg minted lamb-ducats again – this time they were to welcome the new century and to celebrate the introduction of the Gregorian calendar in February 1700. These lamb-ducats soon became so popular that they were re-minted time and again; they were particularly liked as christening gifts. Nuremberg struck the last lamb-ducats in 1806.

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