W. C a r e w H a z l i t t Coinage of the European Continent

314 The Coins of Europe
of Saxe-Gotha reads Frider. III. D.G. Gothan. Saxonvm Dvx.
This branch accidentally acquired a special English interest
and importance from the alliance between the British Crown
and the late Prince Consort, brother of the Grand-Duke
Ernest. There are some admirable thalers of the latter, 1819,
1835, etc., and a very pretty series of copper pieces with a
crowned E.
All the branches which we here enumerate arose from
the periodical redistribution of inheritances among the several
male representatives. Saxe-Meiningen became in
T 68o tnc
Mefnimren
portion of Bernard, son of Ernest above
Saxe-Coburg- named, who transmitted the property or estates
Meiningen. to his undc Qiarlcs Frederic in 1733. The
Saxe-Coburg _ .. . .
and house of Altenbcrg was extinct in 1672, and its
Saaifeid.
possessions were divided between Saxe-Wcimar
an d Saxe-Gotha. That of
Hildburg-
Hildburghausen was
hausen. formed in 1825, and made Altenbcrg its capital.
\itenben'-
"A-^
these princes, besides many minor feudatories,
enjoying from various sources the right to a separate
currency, have left numismatic reminiscences of their existence
from the twelfth century to the present. The title of
Coburg-Meiningen seems to have been limited to the immediate
successor of Bernard in 1733. Of Saxc-Saalfeld there
is
only abbatial or urban coinage, dating from a very early
period, as in 1350 the abbot ceded his pretensions to the
town. When we approach more recent times, Saalfeld is
found associated with Coburg ; a thaler of 1794 reads
Ernestvs Fridericvs D.G. Ds. Cobvrg Saalfeld ; and on one
of 1817 occurs Ernst Herzog su Sachsen Coburg tind Saalfeld.
On the whole, there is
nothing of great importance to record
in connection with these titles or heads. Saxe-Meiningen
and Saxe-Altenberg have their own limited currencies, which
are not of common occurrence outside the immediate territory
or at all events the German frontier.
The undivided government of Anhalt was originally a
fief created in favour of Henry, son of Bernard, Duke of
Saxony, in or about i 1 80, and was successively a margraviat,
county, and duchy. The margraves struck groschen