Mine-Pumping Machinery Illustrated By Brunswick Multiple Talers 



These large silver coins weighing up to 1 5 ounces were 

 first issued in 1574 in Brunswick by Duke Julius (1568- 

 1589) of the VVolfcnbutlel line. Their historical back- 

 ground is rather unusual and interesting. 



In 1570 the Duke decided to increase the output of his 

 silver mines in the Hatz and arranged for the opening of 

 three new mines. In order to insure the retention of a 

 portion of this increased silver output under his control, 

 the Duke decided to issue an entirely new kind of silver 

 coin which he called "Loescr," meaning redeemer. These 

 were larger than taler-size pieces, and were struck in 

 denominations from 1'^ to 16 talers. The Duke ordered 

 that each of his subjects was to purchase one of these 

 large coins, the size of the coin to be acquired depending 

 on the individual's wealth. The owners were not allowed 

 to use these pieces in everyday trade, but could pawn 

 them in case of dire need. They were expected to produce 

 them at any time upon demand. Tints a means of hoard- 

 ing, a "treasure piece," was created, and die risk of 

 draining the country's wealth through replacement of 

 good, full-weight silver coins with imported base cur- 

 rency was to some extent limited. At the same time, the 

 Duke had a considerable sum of money at his disposal 

 in case of emergency. 



Similar Loesers were issued up to 1688 by different 

 rulers of Brunswick. Some of the later issues arc com- 

 memorative in character and might have sers'cd for 

 presentation purposes. The workmanship of the majority 

 is exquisite. They portray personages real and ideal 

 and ornate coats of arms, in addition to the elaborate 

 mining landscapes shown here. The U.S. National 

 Museum is fortunate in having a number of examples 

 through the generosity of Mr. Paul A. Straub. 



For calling my attention to these coins, and for other 

 invaluable assistance, I am indebted to the former curator 

 of the numismatic collections of the U.S. National 

 Museum, the late Stuart Mosher, and to the present 

 curator. Dr. V. Clain-Stefanelli. 



Figure i shows an overshot waterwheel driving through 

 Stangenkunsten pumps in three separate shafts, each 

 covered by the typical conical shaft house. It is possible 

 that these shaft houses also cover horse whims used to 

 operate bucket hoists such as that shown in the lower 

 center. A house with three chimneys in the background 

 may be the smelter. The horse over whose head the 

 Deity holds a wreath is a symbol of Lunebcrg. 



mcnt from the inid-14th century.^ The mid-Hth 

 century situation is confused by the occurrence of 

 the Black Death, which reduced mining activity 

 drastically, and the events of which Rechtel speaks 

 have been put as much as 

 a century later.* In any 

 case, the development of 

 deep-mining methods had 



< Hcinrich Bechtcl, Wirlschajl- 

 stil des deulschen Spaimiltdaltns, 

 Munich, 1930, pp. 202-203. 

 Bechtel calls this one of the 

 most revolutionary industrial 

 developments of the midtlle 

 ages. 



' Rickard {op. cit., footnote 3, 

 pp. 547-554, 561) also speaks 

 of a decline through the ex- 

 haustion of surface deposits, but 

 dates the revival 1480-1570. 

 He supports this conclusion by 

 statistics on the leading mine 

 at Raminelsbcrg, which was 

 unproductive from the Black 

 Death (1347) to 1450, and only 

 slightly active before 1518. 



clearly made considerable progress in nonferrous 

 mines when the De re metallka was written, in 1556. 

 For a detailed description of the mechanical equip- 

 ment of this era we are largely indebted to Agricola. 



He classifies hauling ma- 

 chines into four types; the 

 ordinary bucket windlass, 

 the piston (suction) pump, 

 the chain of dippers, and 

 the rag and chain pump. 

 .Although the first three had 

 been known in antiquity, 

 and the last perhaps a cen- 

 tury before his time," their 



Figure i. — Brunswick Silver 3's Taler, Johann 

 Friedrich, 1677. (U. S. .Xtilionat Atusfum, Paul A. 

 Straub coll.; Smithsonian photo 43334-C). 



• According to F. M. Fcldhaus 

 {Die Technik. I^ipzig and Berlin, 

 1914, p. 833.), a manuscript il- 

 lustration of this type of pump, 

 wliich he calls SchOpfkolbcn- 

 kcttc, appears in the Mariano 

 Ck)dcx latinus 197, B. 180, 

 dated 1438, in the Munich 

 Hofbibliothck. 



PAPER 



mini: pumping in .\(;ricoi.a s timk and i.aier 



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