Brandenburg

[Numis-Student]

Hallo,
ich sitze mal wieder im Museum bei der Bestimmung, und ich habe zu Altdeutschland leider keine Literatur...
Also muss ich euch mal mit ein paar Stücken befragen. Hier das erste...
Schöne Grüße,
MR

[4,99€]

2/3 Thaler (Gulden)
1675 - Münzstätte Regenstein (IA)
KM # 447

[Numis-Student]

Dankeschön,
MR

[Bertolt]

Hallo, ich glaube das es auf der Burg Regenstein keine Münzstätte gab. Diese Guldenstücke wurden in der Münzstätte Halberstadt für Regenstein geprägt, Münzmeister war Bastian Hille, siehe die gekreuzten Zainhaken. Gruß Bertolt.

[Gerhard Schön]

Hallo, ich glaube das es auf der Burg Regenstein keine Münzstätte gab. Diese Guldenstücke wurden in der Münzstätte Halberstadt für Regenstein geprägt, Münzmeister war Bastian Hille, siehe die gekreuzten Zainhaken.

Warum soll in Regenstein keine Münzstätte gewesen sein? Münzmeister war jedenfalls Johann Arensburg jr. 1674–1676, siehe die Initialien I.A. auf der Münze. Und der Münzstand ist nicht Brandenburg, sondern die Grafschaft Regenstein im Niedersächsischen Reichskreis (unter Kurfürst Friedrich Wilhelm von Brandenburg), deshalb auch die Umschrift (moneta nova argentea Reinsteinensis). Das Nominal ist auf der Münze als ⅔ Taler angegeben, ein Gulden ist das nur aus süddeutscher und kaiserlicher Sichtweise.
Gruß,
gs

[Bertolt]

Hallo Herr Gerhard Schön, die Sache ist nämlich folgende. Im Jahre 1670 wurde die Grafschaft Regenstein, nach Enthauptung ihres letzten Besitzers durch Brandenburg eingezogen. Der Vorschlag, für die Grafschaft eine Münzstätte zu errichten, um das dafür erfoderliche Geld zu Prägen, erfolgte im Jahre 1674. Als ein möglicher Münzort wurde ein Junkerhof im nicht weit entfernten Amt Westerhausen, in der Nähe von Quedlinburg ausgewählt. Initiator dieser Angelegenheit war Regierungsrat Weiler aus Halberstadt. Er ist auch der Urheber der am 04.Juli 1674 an den Großen Kurfürsten eingesandten Entwürfe, für einen 2/3 Taler. Der Unterschied zur Berliner Prägung besteht im Austausch mit dem Stettinischen durch das Regensteiner Wappen. In Berlin wurde das Wappen weiter modifiziert, bis es dem in Aussicht gestelltem Umlaufgebiet entsprach. Der Große Kurfürst stimmte zu, von einer Prägung in Westerhausen wurde Abstand genommen und festgelegt, dass in Halberstadt geprägt wird. Weiler beschaffte die Münzbeamten: Sebastian Hille als Münzmeister, Johann Arendsburg als Wardein und Christoph Schröder als Schreiber, begannen mit der Ausmünzung der angesprochenen 2/3 Taler. Das alles kann noch viel ausführlicher in einem Aufsatz von Hermann Brämer nachgelesen werden, im BBB Seite 113. Gruß Bertolt.

[Gerhard Schön]

Hallo Bertolt,
vielen Dank für den Hinweis. Sebastian Hille war jedenfalls Schmiedemeister in Halberstadt und er hat sich dort als Münzpächter betätigt. Johann Arensburg jr. hatte schon zuvor als Münzmeister in Zerbst gewirkt und übte diese Tätigkeit faktisch auch hier aus, dafür sprechen auch die durchgehend von 1674 bis 1677 verwendeten Initialen I.A. Daneben mag er durchaus mit oder an Stelle von Bastian Hille das Münzgeschäft als Unternehmer betrieben haben. Wenn er sich allerdings als Wardein selbst kontrollierte, war das natürlich eine unzulässige Ämterverbindung. Selbst in dem genannten Buch ist auf Seiten 355 bis 360 für die Jahrgänge 1674 bis 1677 durchweg vom "Münzmeister Johan Ahrendsburg" die Rede.
Gruß,
gs

[Mari Sebeth]

Hello,

[Gerhard Schön]

Hello Mari Sebeth,

Welcome to this forum! Yes, it would be great to exchange biographical info about the Arensburg family.
Here is what I found so far --

Friedrich Christian Arensburg (*about 1615?)

Johann Arensburg sr. (†1667)
Mintmaster in Halberstadt (Principality) 1653-1665,
Mintmaster in Halberstadt (City) 1665-1667

Johann Arensburg jr. [son of J.A. sr.]
Mintmaster in Zerbst 1666-1674,
Mintmaster and/or Assayer in Halberstadt (Principality) 1674-1677 (producing coins for Regenstein with his initials)

Johann Leonhard Arensburg (*1668, †19 October 1719 Stettin?)
Assayer in Dessau 1683,
Mintmaster in Ellrich 1684,
Mintmaster in Wittgenstein 1684-1687,
Mintmaster in Barby 1687,
Mintmaster in Stettin 1688-1695

Julius Christian Arensburg [brother of J.L.A.]
Mintmaster in Stade 1691-1693,
Mintmaster in Stettin 1695-1698,
Mintmaster in Lübeck 1716-1718?

Zacharias Hartwig Arensburg (*Mitau?) [brother of J.L.A.]
Coin Engraver in Stettin 1696-1698,
Medallist in Stockholm (1737)

Carl Friedrich Arensburg (*25 January 1694 Stettin, †18 November 1777) [son of J.L.A.]

Your corrections and additions would be most welcome. It would also be interesting to know if the above were related to any other people in the minting business?

Best regards,
Gerhard Schön

[Mari Sebeth]

Mr. Schön,
Thank you for you kind response.

On Friedrich Christian (baptized?) About 1615 – I have nothing on him, but he may be related judging by his name “Friedrich Christian” as these names appear frequently in the genealogy, and was it not a custom to name after relatives? Do you know where he was from?
I know of a Peter A. from Goslar who was a mint master at several mints at the end of the 16th and early 17th centuries but I do not have locations.
JA, Jr. and JLA I was under the impression that these two were the same man. According to “Die Münzstätte zu Stettin unter den Konigen Karl XI und Karl XII von Schweden, 1660-1710” by Friedrich, Friherr von Schrötter in Zeitschrift für Numismatic , volume 28 (1910) pages 113-219, Johann senior was mint master in Halberstadt 1653-1666 in Halberstadt, then 1666-1676 in Zerbst and Reinstein, and possibly in Plön in 1677. However, in the Standard Catalog of World Gold Coins by Thomas Michael and George Cuhaj (2009) it says JA (assuming senior) was in Jever 1666-1676, the same years von Schrötter says he was in Zerbst and Reinstein. Is this the same place? It is suggested that he is the father of JLA.

On JLA, von Schrötter’s article says Johann Leonhard was Wardein at Zerbst in 1683, Mint Master at Göttingen and in 1684, and at Ellrich and Barby 1684-1687. At Ellrich he learned from Count Gustav von Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohnstein the craft of debasing coins. In another source it states that Wittgenstein “loaned” JLA to Duke Heinrich of Barby on 10 August 1687 to run a “hedge-mint” there. This was the last time there was a mint at Barby. The Barby article also says that JLA was the supervisor at Zerbst in early 1687 and in Magdeburg and Halberstadt 1682-1683, and back in Magdeburg in 1685. I have the article on the Barby mint in German “Die letzten der Barbyer Münzstätte” and can send it to you with your e-mail address. It is not very long, but maybe too long to post here. I do not have a source for this article as I found it more than 10 years ago. The Biographical Dictionary of Medalists … volume 3 also lists JLA as Mint-Master to Count von Sayn-Wittgenstein in Gitlenburg in 1684 and “Johann Arensberger von Halberstadt in Rottleberode” was in Stohlberg in 1668-1669, in Wernigerode 1671-1674, and Brandenburg/Regenstein 1674-1677 according to the Standard Catalog of World Gold Coins by Thomas Michael and George Cuhaj (2009). So you see, I am confused with the three Johann Arensburgs! Since many of these places are very close to each other in Saxony-Anhalt, I am assuming that is where the family originates.

Von Schrötter’s article is a very detailed account of the hedge-mint in Stettin. You might find it very interesting to read.

Where did you find JLA’s baptism in 1668 and do you have a place for this? He did die in Stettin in 1719 but I have a date of 25 May.

The three Arensburg brothers were arrested in Stettin in 1698 for the debasing operations but the Swedish government was really after the Governor-General Bielke for treason and Bielke had embezzled money from the mint, too. They were held in Stettin for a year, then brought to Stockholm in 1699 where they stayed until 1705, when they were acquitted. Johann Leonhard married Eleonora Elisabet Forsmander, the daughter of Swedish nobleman Erik Manderström, and they had 6 children, the oldest being Carl Friedrich.

On JCA, I have found him in the Standard Catalog and Biographical Dictionary of Medalists: 1689-1691 medalist at Stettin, 1691-1693 at Bremen and Verden, 1695-1698 at Stettin but also 1695-1703 at Stade, and 1717 in Mecklenburg-Strelitz/Schwerin. He was hired on 20 October 1693 to work with his brothers in the debasing at Stettin. He was the Mint Master at Stade before he went to Stettin and was arrested for debasing there, but the charges were dropped. His father-in-law was the governor in Mecklenburg.

Zacharias Hartwig was 19 when he arrived at the Stettin Mint in 1696. Where did you find his baptism in Mitau? He was a customs inspector at various gates around Stockholm 1724-1743 or 44.

Carl Friedrich is my 6th great-grandfather. Where did you find his death? It is correct. He was a Swedish officer in the Great Northern War 1711-1721. We think he traveled to Germany (he had written that he had relations there) and in 1721 was commissioned as a Captain at half-pay for the Company of the Indies and came to Louisiana that year. He was the Commandant and Judge of the German Coast, (25 miles upriver from New Orleans) for 47 years. In 1768 he was involved in a revolt against the Spanish when they took possession of Louisiana. No grave has been located, but we believe he died in New Orleans.

Who puts their mark on the coins? Is it the mint master, the stamper? I have noticed in the coin catalog that coins with JLA and JCA exists and it seems that crossed battle axes are associated with JLA also.

Also, one more question – have you heard of a Hubert Dähnicke that may have been a mint master in Stargard? He had a small part in the Stettin scandal and may have been related to JLA.

Thank you again,
Regards,
Mari

[Gerhard Schön]

Dear Mari,

many thanks for all your comments.

I have no idea if Friedrich Christian Arensburg is related to the others, so I put his name in here to see if someone would comment. Peter Arensburg had been mintmaster in Frankfurt from 1609 to 1612, for example.

When Jever was under the rule of the Zerbst line of the ducal house of Anhalt, the initials I.A. (actually I.A.Q.) referred to mintmaster Johann Andreas Quenstedt and not Johann Arensburg.

As we have seen in this thread, the Regenstein coins marked I.L.A. have actually been produced in Halberstadt. Also, there is no place called Gitlenburg. Do you mean Catlenburg?

It is understood that Julius Christian Arensburg produced the 1717 dated coins for Mecklenburg (Strelitz, not Schwerin) at the mint of Lübeck.

I doubt that Zacharias Hartwig Arensburg was born in Mitau. The reference to Courland (Forrer, Vol. I, p. 69) may be an error for Kuressare (Arensburg) in Saaremaa (Ösel) where the family is said to originate from.

Biographical data about Carl Friedrich Arensburg can be found in Kondert (2008), who refers to older literature.

Hubert Dönnigke was appointed assayer (not mintmaster) in Stargard, after he had served as one of the employees of Julius Christian Arensburg in Stettin. According to Bahrfeldt, he was his son in law as well. In 1697, however, he accused him of irregular practices at the Stettin Mint.

Any initials on a coin can refer to the ruler, the mintmaster, the assayer (warden), or the engraver. The latter two can be the same person, while the mintmaster usually was not allowed to produce the coining dies he wanted to use himself. Also, it is not crossed battle axes but bar hooks.

Best regards,
Gerhard Schön

[Gerhard Schön]

After his term in Wittgenstein, Johann Leonhard Arensburg must have been mintmaster in Westerburg 1686 before heading to Barby and Stettin.

Best regards,
Gerhard Schön