SILVER AUSBEUTETALER / FURSTENBERG / 1790
 

Silver Ausbeutetaler Depicting Prince Joseph Maria Benedikt Fürstenberg and honoring the Friedrich Christian Mine
 
OBV:
Upper - JOS M B FURST ZU FURSTENBERG  L • I • D • B • U • Z • ST • H • Z • HAUSENI • KINZ • THAL
Lower - XEINE FEINE MARK
REV:
Upper - MIT GOTT DURCHKUNST U ARBEIT
Lower - DIE GRUBEFRIED • CHRIST • GABS • ZURAUSBEUT IM OUARTAL • CRUCIS • 1790

Catalog: Kirchheimer 22, Dollinger 44, Davenport 2271

Pictured on this page is a rare silver ausbeutetaler minted in 1790 with silver from the Friedrich Christian mine located in Southern Baden-Württemberg Germany. An outstanding portrait of the Prince of Fürstenberg is on the obverse of the coin with the mine depicted on the reverse.
The State of Fürstenberg rose in 1250 AD around the Castle of Fürstenberg, the name meaning 'Princely Mountain'. This is also where the royal family takes its name.

Fürstenberg - Fürstenberg was a county within Furstenberg created by a partitioning of the state in 1408. The county was ruled by Count Henry VII for 33 years until his death at which time the county was divided between Fürstenberg-Baar and Fürstenberg-Geisingen.

The county of Fürstenberg - Fürstenberg would reemerge in 1704 as a partition of the county of Fürstenberg-Stühlingen with Count Joseph William Ernest as ruler. It was raised to a principality in 1716 and the Count became the first Prince of Fürstenberg - Fürstenberg. There was now a prince living at 'Princely Mountain'.

Upon the death of Joseph William Earnest in 1762, Joseph Wenceslaus inherited the principality and ruled for 21 years until his death in 1783. The principality then went to 25 year old Joseph Maria Benedikt who became the third prince of Fürstenberg and ruling from 1783 to 1796.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart visited the Fürstenberg home in Donaueschingen as a 10 year old musical prodigy at the end of a nearly three-year concert tour. A mutual acquaintance in the form of Sebastian Winters, a former employee and friend of the Mozart family who became chamber servant to Prince Joseph Wenceslaus, helped arranged for them to come and perform for the Prince, his family, and invited guests. They stayed for twelve days and although they were paid for the service, they were sad to leave as was the prince to see them go. As gifts of gratitude he gave both young Wolfgang and his sister diamond rings. 

One of the people who was in attendance during the Mozart's visit was the princes young son, Joseph Maria Benedikt. Like his father, Joseph Maria Benedikt was an avid patron of the arts as well as a musician and a passionate lover of music. He grew up in a household that fostered a love for music with visiting musicians and composers and regular concerts performed at his home. When he became the Prince of Fürstenberg in 1783 the young prince went to great expense to maintain a beautiful theater to play the works of great composers of the day. Strapped for cash, Mozart proposed that the Prince of Fürstenberg pay him a regular annual salary in return for new compositions for exclusive use at the court in Donaueschingen. Apparently the Prince chose to purchase three symphonies and three piano concertos but decided against paying him the salary he had hoped for.

Karl Joachim became prince upon the death of Joseph Maria Benedikt in 1796.  He would be the last ruling Prince of Fürstenberg when, in 1806, the principality was annexed by the Grand Duchy of Baden and the title was retired. Though the Fürstenberg family no longer ruled as princes of the land, they still own large amounts of property in the area including the palace at Donaueschingen with its gardens and grounds and an extensive library.  
Donaueschingen: is a town in the southwest of Baden-Württemberg near the sources of the Danube. The confluence of the Brigach and Breg river form the source of the Danube river from which the town gets its name. It was the residence of the Princes of Fürstenberg until 1806, when it came under the rule of the Grand Duchy of Baden and later granted township in 1810. A large part of the town was destroyed by fire in 1908.

Ausbeutetaler: Also known as a mining taler, an ausbeutetaler is made from the precious metal found in a specific region; that place or region and the name or image of the mine will appear on the coin. For example, the coin pictured on this page was minted with silver found in the Friedrich Christian mine located in Southern Baden-Württemberg Germany. The first mining talers were issued in the 16th century.

This coin is part of the HARP COLLECTION • Back to World Coins