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Obverse: Doctor Martin Luther; Reverse: Third Jubilee Festival of the Reformation. October 31, 1817. Issued at Heilbronn or Breslau. Weight 5.1 gr; Height 24.55 mm; Width 24.43 mm. Brozatus #1230 or 1230a; Whiting 542.

 

Obverse: Doctor Martin Luther. Born November 10, 1483; Died February 18, 1546. Reverse: Third Reformation Festival, October 31, 1817. Issued at Darmstadt H.R. (= Hector Rössler) Weight 4.3 gr; Height 21.35 mm; Width 21.37 mm. Brozatus #1216; Whiting 546, Zak 162-163.

Obverse: Dr. Martin Luther. Born November 10, 1483. Jetton. Reverse: The Third Jubilee Year after the restoration of the pure Gospel. October 31, 1817. Issued at Nürnberg in 1817. Weight 16.5 gr; Height 32.84 mm; Width 32.83 mm. Whiting 563, but Whiting example has a loop at top.

Obverse: Doctor Martin Luther. Born in Eisleben November 10, 1483; Died in Eisleben February 16, 1546. Reverse: A monument of the thankfulness of the German people in 1817 for the worthy celebration of the third jubilee festival. Issued at Worms. Weight 17 gr; Height 38.25 mm; Width 37.50 mm. Schnell 301, but Schnell example has a loop at the top.

Obverse: A Mighty Fortress is our God. Third Jubilee of 1817. Reverse: The heart of the Christian rests on roses, especially when it stands under the cross. Issued in Hildburghausen. Weight 20.3 gr; Height 39.25 mm; Width 39.44 mm. Brozatus #1231; Whiting 589.

Obverse: Doctor Martin Luther. Reverse: Hold fast what you have so that no one takes your crown. Reverse: Third evangelical jubilee celebration in Saxony. October 31, 1817. Issued in Dresden. Weight 60.5 gr. Height 48.91 mm; Width 49.92 mm. Brozatus #`1219; or 1219a;  Whiting 590; Zak 198.

Obverse: Martin Luther. The word of God abides forever. On sleave: A. J. Depaulis prepared this medal.
Reverse: Third jubilee of the Reformation. Celebrated in Paris in 1817. Weight 40.9 gr; Height 40.85 mm; Width 40.92 mm. Brozatus:  1239b; Schnell 295; Whiting 566; Zak 172.

 

Obverse: Martin Luther. The word of God abides forever. On arm sleave: A. J. Depaulis prepared this medal.
Reverse: Third jubilee of the Reformation. Celebrated in Paris in 1817.Bronze.
Weight 40 gr; Height 40.87 mm; Width 40.79 mm. Brozatus #1239a; Schnell 295; Whiting 567; Zak 172.
Obverse: M. Luther and J. Calvin (celebrating the Prussian Union of Protestant Churches by Frederich Wilhelm III ). Brandt F = Henri Francois Brandt prepared this medal.
Reverse: The Bible, that is the entire Holy Scripture. October 31, 1817. Weight 51.5 gr; Height 41.99 mm; Width 41.95 mm. Brozatus #1196; Whiting 582; Zak 179-180.

 

Obverse: Dr. Martin Luther. Born November 10, 1483; Died: February 18, 1546. Reverse: Third Reformation Festival on October 31, 1817. Darmstadt. HR = Hector Rössler. Weight 3.9 gr; Height 21.36 mm; Width 21.4 mm. Brozatus #1216; Whiting 547; Zak 162-163.

Obverse: Dr. Martin Luther. A Mighty Fortress is our God.
Reverse: On the Third Jubilee festival of the Lutheran Church Stuttgart. October 31, 1817.
Weight 2.5 gr; Height 20.35 mm; Width 20.61 mm. Brozatus 1255; Whiting 606; Zak 207

Obverse: A mighty fortress is our God. 3rd Jubilee Celebration of the Reformation 1817.
Reverse: Union of Evangelical Christians of the free city of Frankfurt. One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism, One God and Father of all. Weight 4.7 gr; Height 25.43 mm; Width 25.54 mm. Brozatus #1223a; Schnell 286; Whiting 553; Zak 158.

Obverse: Doctor Martin Luther Reformer. Third Centennial.
Reverse: In memory of the Reformation. Ecclesia Suinfurtensis. The word Suinfurtensis refers to the Franconian city of Schweinfurt. So this medal was issued by the church at that place. October 31, 1817.
Weight 14.6 gr; Height 36.06; Width 35.81 mm. Whiting 597 mm; Zak 204.

Obverse: Doctor Martin Luther.Designed by Daniel Friedrich Loos.
Reverse: He preached mightily. Matt 7:29. Festival of the Reformation October 31, 1817. Castle Church at Wittenberg. Weight 5.5 gr; Height 25.38 mm; Width 25.38 mm. Brozatus #1210; Whiting 577; Zak 191.

Obverse: Dr. Martin Luther. Designed by Peter Bruckmann.
Reverse: A Mighty Fortress is our God. Third Jubilee Festival of the Reformation Heilbronn 1817
Weight 22.2 gr; Height 38.22 mm; Width 38.32 mm. Brozatus #1228; Schnell 289; Whiting 558; Zak 160

Obverse: Dr. Martin Luther. Born 1483; Died 1546.
Reverse: Church-goers read the 95 theses. “With God begun.” Wittenberg October 31, 1517. This is a large iron medal issued in 1817 in Berlin.  Weight 253.9 gr; Height 103.49 mm; Width 103.49 mm. Brozatus #1194; Whiting 608.

Obverse: D. Martin Luther P. Melanchthon. Silver jeton.
Reverse: Strassburg Cathedral. The Word of God abides forever 1817. Weight .7 gr; Height 12.65 mm; Width 12.68 mm. Zak 205

Obverse: D. Martin Luther.
Reverse: Through faith to light. October 31, 1517. Open Bible on a cross. Design by G. Hirsch.
Weight: 2.6 gr; Height 19.49 mm; Width19.52 mm. Brozatus #1263; Zak 211.

 

Obverse: Morten Luther
Reverse: Vor Gud Han Er Saa Fast en Borg = A Mighty Fortress is our God. The woman represents the church, holding the cross in one hand and the Bible in the other.  Copenhagen, Denmark 1817. Weight 59.9 gr; Height 33.16 mm; Width 33.09 mm. Brozatus #1234; Schnell 260. Whiting 545.

Obverse: Martin Luther born November 10, 1483.
Reverse: open Bible with communion chalice and host. 300th anniversary of October 31, in 1817. Your word sustains those who trust in you (Wisdom of Solomon 16:26). And God said: Let there be light, and there was light.  Nürnberg. The box contained six medallions, with scenes from the Reformation on both sides. Designed by Thomas Stettner. Weight 30.3 gr; Height 45.26 mm; Width 45.30 mm. Brozatus #1237; Brozatus #1237; Schnell 294; Whiting 564; Zak 167-168.

Inside obverse cover: In 1817 the confessors of the Lutheran faith celebrated the third centennial of the Reformation. With deep emotion all thought about the great hero of the faith, Dr. Martin Luther. And all churches marveled at the works that he had accomplished through the power of Almighty God.
Inside reverse cover: The high festival days took place on October 31-November 2, 1817. These lordly words flamed in all hearts: God’s word and Luther’s teaching do not pass away now or ever.

Obverse: Full of zeal, the great man nails the 95 theses to the church door. In Wittenberg, at the Castle Church, October 31, 1517.
Reverse: A great prince lays the first stone at Luther’s memorial. His majesty Friedrich Wilhelm III (1770-1840) at Wittenberg on November 1, 1817.

Obverse: Luther throws the papal bull into the glow of the high flames. At Wittenberg, at the Elster gate, on December 20, 1520.
Reverse: At the memorial stone for Gustavus Adolphus Luther’s praise is celebrated. A great fire in celebration of the Reformation took place on October 31, 1817, by the citizens of Lützen, where Gustavus Adolphus died.

Obverse: I cannot do otherwise. Here I stand. God, help me. Luther at the Diet of Worms 1521.
Reverse: The band of the muses brings a thank offering for Luther. Students at Tübingen had a torchlight parade on October 31, 1817

Obverse: God cares for Luther in a wonderful way as this event demonstrates. The elector of Saxony had Luther kidnapped in the forest and brought to the Wartburg in 1521.
Reverse: Oak, be prominently and majestically displayed there. You give shade to a precious site. At Zulsdorf, Luther’s former home, and oak was planted in his honor on November 2, 1817.

Obverse: The high Wartburg is the place where he translated God’s word. Under the name of Junker Georg Luther lived in the Wartburg for two years, 1521-1522.
Reverse: The Lutheran anniversary celebration remains always precious to all hearts. The second festival day was celebrated in all places by noteworthy catechization on November 1, 1817.

 

Obverse: A Mighty Fortress is our God rings out in a festive way from the temples there. Through metal in church towers hymns of thanksgiving conclude the high celebration. November 2, 1817.
Reverse: The highest confidence of faith does not forsake him even in death. Luther dies in Eisleben on February 18, 1546.

 

Photographs contributed by the Rev. Frederick J. Schumacher

Bibliography

Brozatus, Klaus-Peter. Refomatio in Nummis. Osnabrück: Künker, 2015.
Schnell, Hugo. Martin Luther und die Reformation auf Münzen und Medaillen. München: Klinkhardt & Biermann, 1983.
Martin Luther und die Reformation auf Münzen und Medaillen. Collection of Robert B. Whiting. April 1983.
The Story of Martin Luther and the Reformation as Told by the Coin, Medal, Jetton Collection of Miss H. E. Zak. September 1979.
Smith, Thurman L. Coins and Medals of the Reformation: A Select Bibliography. Sixteenth Century Bibliography 32. St. Louis: Center for Reformation Research, 1995.

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