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Imperial city of Kempten
Kempten, the Roman Cambodunum, situated in the southwest of Bavaria, broke away from the abbey of Kempten in 1289. In 1525, after numerous setbacks, the city finally gained independence by paying 30,000 fl for its release from the abbey. The city became protestant in 1527. In 1609 they entered the protestant alliance. During the Thirty-Years-War the town was destroyed twice, by Swedish troups in 1632 and by imperial troups in 1633. In 1803 the town and its 3000 inhabitants fell to Bavaria, as did the abbey.
Emperor Maximilian I granted the right of coinage in gold and silver to Kempten on 14 July 1510. Three months later the emperor determined that the 1/3-Thalers should carry the effigy of his grandson Charles and their mintage began the same year.

 

1/3 Thaler, 1516.   Ø 29 mm   9,3 g   Nau 39
Obv.:   +NVMVS◦NOVa◦CIVITATisCAMPIDONE◦1516
double eagle with halos, crown and a breast shield with "K" as symbol of the city
Rev.:   KAROLVS◦ARCHIDVX◦AVSTRIE◦Dux◦BVRGVndiae (mm.)
Renaissance-Bust of the young Charles V with long hair, armour and crown
follows a shining model of Emperor Maximilians 1/4 Guldiner n.d.(after 1511) from Hall.
Central dot on both sides.

The mintage of Goldgulden began in 1511, the first thalers were minted in 1537. Until 1549 all thalers carry an effigy of Charles V in many variations.

 

Thaler, 1537.   Ø 42 mm   28,44 g   Nau 80 ; Bernh.26 ; Schulten 1572 ; Dav.9360
Obv.:   MOИETA¤ИOVA¤CIVITATIS¤CAMPIDOИEИ:¤ (mm.)
crowned imperial arms surrounded by fire-irons and arms of Austria, Tirol & Burgundy.
Rev.:   CAROLVS¤ROMAnorum¤IMPErator¤SEMPER¤AVGVSTVS+ (mm.)
Emperors bust with beard, coat, flat cap and sceptre. Estrade with the date 1537.
Columns of Hercules with banderole and crown in the field.



Thaler, 1538.     Ø 38 mm   28,38 g   Nau 81 ; Bernh.27 ; Schulten 1573 ; Dav.9361
Obv.:   DER·STAT·KEMPTEN (mm. rose leaf) MVINTZ·1538 (mm. apple with stalk)
mintmarks : rose leaf (Lorenz Rosenbaum ?) and apple with stalk (Hans Apfelfelder)
crowned imperial arms surrounded by fire-irons and arms of Austria, Tirol & Burgundy.
Rev.:   ICH·VERMAGS·ALS·DURCH·DEn·Der·Mich·STärkt (mm. cross)
"I am able to do this through the power of the one who strengthens me"
crowned bust in armour with Golden Fleece.
Compare the copper-plate engraving published in Köhler's "Historical Coin Amusement", 1729-1750.



Thaler, 1542.   Ø 40 mm   28,55 g   Nau 97 ; Bernh.58 ; Schulten 1578 ; Dav.9364
Obv.:   MONeta:NOva:CIVITATIS·CAMPIDOnum:1542 (mm.)
crowned imperial arms surrounded by four fire-irons and arms of Austria, Tirol & Burgundy.
Rev.:   KAROLVS·V·ROMAnorum:IMPerator:SEMPer:AVGustus (mm.)
crowned emperor in armour with sceptre, sword grip and a ribbon with Golden Fleece.

The Kempten coins differ from those of other Swabian towns in their eyecatching Habsburg coat of arms, thus demonstrating the town's dependance on Austria. The rich Kempten mintage is not conceivable without the substantial silver deliveries from the mines of the Inn Valley. Close contacts to Austria were also necessary because the Kempten abbey kept disputing the town's right to mintage. In 1513 the duke prior (Fürstabt) claimed that only the abbey had been vested with the right to mintage. In 1514, after numerous confrontations, the emperor's arbitration solved the conflict solomonically by confirming both the town's and the abbey's right to mintage.

Ref.:
Nau, Elisabeth,   Die Münzen und Medaillen der oberschwäbischen Städte,   1964
Bernhart, Max,   Die Münzen der Reichsstadt Kempten,   Halle 1926   or   MBNG 44(1926)p.113-280



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