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

324 The Coins of Europe
the names of moneyers, while on the identity of the sovereigns
we are left to speculation. In the thirteenth century
Pomerania formed two divisions, Stettin and Wolgast,
each under its own duke. There are pieces reading Dvx
Stetin, and Dvc' Wolg. respectively ;
and the whole was
not united till
1625. But even under the dual rule the
coinage, in the latter half of the fifteenth century, received a
powerful stimulus, and perhaps attained its climax, as we
perceive that in or about 1492 the region was provided
with gold, silver, and billon pieces in fair abundance, and
was under monetary treaties between the dukes and some of
the leading townships. The lower denominations at that
time comprised the grosch = 1 2 pf.,
the schilling
= 4 pf.,
the witten = 2 pf.,
and the vierch (?)
= ^ pf.
At a subsequent
period, and during the troubles of the seventeenth century,
the standard of the money underwent debasement, and in
fact never regained its former importance, the Swedish
money for this district, though of poor metal, becoming the
leading feature, and preserving a good style. An interesting
daler of Christina, 1642, exhibits an elaborate coiffure and
ruff and the reading on reverse Moneta Nova Argent
Dvcatvs Povier : Besides Stettin and Wolgast, several other
municipal centres lay within these lines in the old days :
particularly Stralsund and Riigen. Of Stralsund the chief
distinguishing mark is a broad arrowhead ;
some of the
small pieces are of fine silver, others of lower alloy. The
Dukes of Mecklemburgh employed the mint at Stargard and
the Margraves of Brandenburgh that at Schievelbein.
The actual history of Brandenburgh for our immediate
purpose opens with the sale of the margraviat in 1 4 1 5 by
the Emperor Sigismund to Frederic of Hohenzollern,
Burgraf of Niirnberg, just as in all likeliand
hood the Dukedom and Electorate of Saxony
Electorate.
i , /- 1 , T , ,
Brandenburgh- ev lved from the same source at Magdeburg.
Anspach. The original domain was formed out of the
Bra d e gh "
ancient Wendish
Bayreuth
territory, which probably embraced
the whole of what is now Pomerania,
Prussian Saxony, and Prussian Poland, including Branden-