Small coins of German states until 1871

 

The capital is the city of Schwerin. The Principality of Mecklenburg was founded in 1167. Since 1352 - Duchy. After the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, it left its composition and in 1815 became the Grand Duchy.

 

Coins from the reign of Grand Duke Friedrich Franz II of Mecklenburg (Friedrich Franz II. von Mecklenburg), 1842-1883.

 

 

The duchy was formed in 1701. Until 1806, it was part of the Holy Roman Empire, since 1815 - received the status of the Grand Duchy.

 

Coins from the reign of Grand Duke Georg Friedrich Karl Joseph of Mecklenburg (Georg von Mecklenburg), 1816-1860

 

 

Coins from the reign of Grand Duke Friedrich Wilhelm (Friedrich Wilhelm Karl Georg Ernst Adolf Gustav von Mecklenburg), 1860-1904.

 

The first mention of the city of Oldenburg dates back to 1108. The counts of Oldenburg were Saxon vassals until 1448, when Oldenburg came under Danish jurisdiction. In 1773, Denmark transferred the Oldenburg lands to Pavel Petrovich (future Russian Emperor Paul I), as the head of the Holstein-Gottorp line, who, in turn, transferred them to his cousin Friedrich Augustus. In 1777, Frederick Augustus I received the ducal title and the county became a duchy. In 1815, following the results of the Vienna Congress, Oldenburg became the Grand Duchy.

Coins from the reign of Grand Duke Peter II of Oldenburg (Nikolaus Friedrich Peter von Oldenburg), 1853-1900.

Archaeological excavations testify to the settlement of these lands already in the VIII century BC. In the I century BC and until the III century AD territories were subordinate to Rome. The first written records date back to AD 700. In 1635, the city was in a war zone on the battlefields of the Thirty Years War. Between 1797 and 1815, the city was captured by the French and was part of the Saar department. In 1815, following the results of the Vienna Congress, the city became part of the Duchy of Oldenburg.

The merger in 1809 of the two related duchies of Saxe-Weimar and Saxe-Eisenach led to the formation of the Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. In 1815, after the expansion of land, the Duchy became known as the Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach with its capital in Weimar.

Grand Duke Karl Friedrich von Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach, 1828-1853

Grand Duke Karl Alexander von Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach, 1853-1901

 

In 1252, the German principality of Anhalt was divided between the heirs into three parts: the principalities of Anhalt-Aschersleben, Anhalt-Bernburg and Anhalt-Zerbst. In 1863, there was a reverse merger of the principalities into a single state - the Duchy of Anhalt. Capital Bernburg.

 

 

The Congress of Vienna decided to unite the two German principalities Braunschweig-Luneburg and Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel into a single Duchy of Braunschweig with the capital of the same name.

Coins of the reign of Duke Wilhelm August Ludwig Maximilian Friedrich Braunschweig (Wilhelm August Ludwig Maximilian Friedrich von Braunschweig), 1831-1884.

 

The Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg re-formed in 1826, 150 years after its dissolution. The capital was located in the city of Altenburg.

 

Coins of the period of government of the Duke Ernst I Friedrich Paul Georg Nikolaus of Ernst I Friedrich Paul Georg Nikolaus von Sachsen-Altenburg, 1853-1908

 

 

The duchy was formed in 1826 under the division of the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg.

 

Coins from the reign of Duke Ernst II of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (Ernst II August Karl Johann Leopold Alexander Eduard von Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha), 1844-1893.

 

The Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen was formed in 1681 during the division of the possessions of the Duke of Saxe-Gotha Ernst the Pious between his seven sons. At the same time, other related duchies were formed: Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, Saxe-Coburg, Saxe-Römgild, Saxe-Eisenberg, Saxe-Gildburghausen, Saxe-Saalfeld. The capital is the city of Meiningen.

Coins of the reign of Duke Bernhard II von Sachsen-Meiningen, 1803-1866

Coins from the reign of Duke George II of Saxe-Meiningen (Georg II von Sachsen-Meiningen), 1866-1914.

 

County within the Holy Roman Empire since 1180. Since 1712, the principality. In the war of 1866, the principality sided with Prussia.

The territories, originally counties, of Lippe were obtained by Bernhard I from the Holy Roman Emperor in 1123. Since 1789, Lippe-Detmold became known as the Principality.

 

The existence of this noble family was documented back in 1122 as rulers of Weida. In the XIV century, the ancestor of the younger line, Henry I, after traveling to Carpathian Russia for his future wife , received the nickname "Reuss" (Russian). Members of the Reuss family at the end of the 17th century owned 10 independent counties, which since 1778 have merged into two independent principalities - Reuss of the senior line (or Reuss-Greitz, Fürstentum Reuss ältere Linie) and Reuss of the younger line (or Reuss-Gera, Fürstentum Reuss jüngerer Linie). It is noteworthy that all the peasants of the Reuss clan bore the name Henry and were assigned serial numbers at birth. As soon as the number reached 100, the numbering began again. The Principality of Reuss-Gera was formed in 1848 after the merger of the principalities of Hera, Schleiz, Lobenstein, Köstritz and Ebersdorf.

 

Coins of the reign of Prince Henry XIX (Heinrich XIX), 1817-1836

 

Coins of the reign of Prince Henry XXII (Heinrich XXII), 1859-1902

 

The Principality of Schaumburg-Lippe was formed in 1643 with its capital in Buchkeburg.

Coins of the reign of Prince Schaumburg-Lippe Georg Wilhelm zu Schaumburg-Lippe, 1787-1860

In 1697, the county of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen became a principality with its capital in Sondershausen.

Coins of the reign of Prince Gunther Friedrich Karl II of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (Günther Friedrich Carl II. von Schwarzburg-Sondershausen), 1835-1880

In 1710, the county of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt became a principality with its capital in Rudolstadt.

 

Coins of the reign of Prince Friedrich Günther of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (Friedrich Günther von Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt), 1814-1867

 

The unification of the possessions of several related branches led to the formation of the Hanover state with a center in the city of the same name, which since 1708 became the elector of the Holy Roman Empire - the Principality of the Elector of Braunschweig-Luneburg. In 1714, the Elector of Hanover and the Duke of Braunschweig-Luneburg George I became king of Great Britain. Since then, the rulers of Hanover have been the British monarchs, who never visited Hanover. In 1837, with the death of King William IV of Britain, the personal union of Britain and Hanover was terminated due to the impossibility, according to Salic laws, of fulfilling the duties of the Ruler of the Kingdom of Hanover by Queen Victoria of Britain. Ernst Augustus I became the first ruler only of the Kingdom of Hanover, living directly in it. In 1866, the Kingdom of Hanover, which fought in the Austro-Prussian-Italian War on the side of Austria, was defeated by Prussia, was annexed by it and renamed the Prussian province of Hanover.

Coins from the reign of King George V of Hanover (Georg V), 1851-1866

 

 

The duchies of Schleswig and Holstein are located on the border with Denmark. Military conflicts over the possession of these territories began in the 9th century. For quite a long time, the management of the territories was carried out by the Danish monarchs. In 1866 , after the Austro-Prussian War , the territories were annealed by Prussia with the formation of the province of the same name.

 

In 1806, the Duchy of Nassau was formed when two related branches merged: Nassau-Weilburg and Nassau-Usingen with the capital in the city of Wiesbaden. Like some other German states, the Duchy of Nassau in the Austro-Prussian War sided with Austria, was defeated, was annexed by Prussia and in 1866 became part of the province of Hesse-Nassau. In 1890, the Duke of Nassau Adolf became the Grand Duke of Luxembourg.

 

Coins from the reign of Duke William I of Nassau (Wilhelm Georg August Heinrich Belgrade zu Nassau ), 1816-1839.

 

 

Coins from the reign of Duke Adolphe of Nassau, 1839-1866.

 

 

The Principality of Hesse-Kassel was formed in 1567 during the division of the Landgraviate of Hesse. In 1803 it was transformed into the Elector of the Holy Roman Empire. In 1866, it was annexed by Prussia following the Austro-Prussian War and became part of the province of Hesse-Kassel.

 

Coins of the reign of Elector Hesse-Kassel Friedrich Wilhelm I von Hessen-Kassel, 1847-1866

 

The city was founded by the Romans in the 1st century CE. The first written mention is 794. In 1372, the status of the city changed to Imperial with direct subordination to the emperor. Frankfurt has long been a key city in the Holy Roman Empire - it hosted the coronation of monarchs since 1562. After the collapse of the Holy Roman Empire, in 1806 the city became part of the Principality of Ashshafenburg, then in 1810-1813, being captured by Napoleon, it was renamed the Grand Duchy of Frankfurt. After the Vienna Congress, in 1815 the city again became "Free." In 1866, Prussia annexed the city and incorporated it into its province of Hesse-Nassau.