BRUNSWICK-WOLFENBÜTTEL: Frederick Ulrich, 1613-1634, AR thaler, 1630, KM-52.5, 'Wildman' type, variety with inner pearl border and flowers, EF. The concept of the Wildman dates back to mythological beings in the ancient cultures of Greece and Rome. Moritz Wormser's November 1916 article in The Numismatist states that "he is a descendant of the Greek Satyr and the Roman Faun." Throughout medieval Europe, the Wildman was used to instill fear in the local villagers to subscribe to certain religious beliefs. The Brunswick Duchies of north-central Germany are located in the silver rich region that includes the Harz Mountains. The myth that was created adapted the Wildman as a local guardian who protected the silver from would-be thieves. No matter which Wildman myth one hears, he is usually depicted the same: large and muscular, nude, or nearly so, and covered in thick body hair, often wearing a wreath of leaves around his loins and as a crown about his brow.
Estimate: USD 375 - 425