bavarikon4UMedals of the cities and municipalities in Bavaria from 1806
The Bavarian Mint Code sealed the end of the almost unmanageable number of coin series by secular and spiritual minters during the Altes Reich in the newly established Kingdom of Bavaria in 1806. Of course, this also affected the coin series of the former imperial cities. New paths had to be pursued to present the city's self-confidence in a distinctive way. A way out was found in the medal.
Even before they were mediatised, the imperial cities had already coined medals for a wide variety of occasions and people, but what was new in the 19th century were the opportunities for private companies to start coining, in some cases already industrially. Market-leading mints included Drentwett in Augsburg, Lauer in Nuremberg and Poellath in Schrobenhausen. These guaranteed high emissions at relatively low prices. What was still the exception in pre-modern times has now become a common phenomenon due to this change in medal production: even wealthy cities without their own mint that did not formerly have imperial immediacy, as well as smaller communities, could now increasingly afford to produce numismatic coins. For example, anniversaries, new buildings or renovations such as (high) schools, churches, bridges, monuments or official buildings or a visit by the monarch (couple) were celebrated. Not only were outstanding sons and daughters of the towns and communities honoured, but from the end of the 19th century also the fallen and veterans, most notably from the victorious Franco-German War of 1870/71.
From the 2nd half of the 19th century, it was mainly the flourishing clubs and associations that were responsible for the increased issuing of award, honorary or commemorative medals: animal, bird and plant breeding associations enjoyed similar popularity to rifle clubs or agricultural associations. Festivals and exhibitions were also ideal occasions for minting: from the token at the meeting of the Cyclists' Association in Nuremberg to the medal at the industrial and commercial exhibition in Regensburg and the festive badge at the 15th anniversary celebration of Sattelpeilnstein's voluntary fire brigade. Away from representative state minting, an almost endless number of medals could therefore be created in the kingdom or the later Free State of Bavaria. The extensive collection of these pieces at the Staatliche Münzsammlung München reflects the most diverse facets of modern Bavaria's history.
The other part collections of "Coins, medals and coin-like objects from Bavaria, Franconia, Swabia and the Palatinate in modern times" available on bavarikon
- Coins and medals of the Bavarian line of Haus Wittelsbach from early modern times to the 20th century (in preparation)
- Coin and medal minting of dioceses and (old) princes in Old Bavaria, Franconia and Swabia
- Early modern coins and medals of Bavarian cities until 1806
- Bavarian Mayor Medals
- Bavarian Pilgrimage Medals from six centuries
- Emergency coins in Bavaria from 1916-1922
- Bavarian modern age tokens and badges
- Nürnberger Rechenpfennige (Nuremberg Jeton)
>> This collection is part of the holdings of "Coins, medals and coin-like objects from Bavaria, Franconia, Swabia and the Palatinate in modern times" of the Staatliche Münzsammlung München (State Coin Collection Munich).