Stavelot-Malmedy. Christoph von Manderscheid (1546–1576). 1/2 Rijksdaalder 1569 – Maximilian II - Very Rare - Delmonte 512 (R2)

Stavelot-Malmedy – Christoph von Manderscheid (1546–1576)

1/2 Rijksdaalder 1569 – Maximilian II
Silver – 14.35 g – Delmonte 512 (R2) – very rare

Obverse:
Crowned half-length bust of Emperor Maximilian II facing right, holding a sceptre in his right hand and an orb (globus cruciger) in his left. The date 15 – 69 appears beside the portrait. Surrounding inscription with the imperial titles of Maximilian II.

Reverse:
Armorial shield of the Imperial Abbey of Stavelot-Malmedy beneath a helmet with elaborate mantling, set within an ornate cartouche. Inscription naming Prince-Abbot Christoph von Manderscheid.

Issuing Authority & Mint
Struck under Christoph von Manderscheid, Prince-Abbot of Stavelot-Malmedy and Abbot of Prüm. The mint used for this issue was Poulseur, active in the 16th century for the abbey’s coinage.

Historical Background
The Imperial Abbey of Stavelot-Malmedy was an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire, situated within the region historically known as the Southern Netherlands. The prince-abbot possessed full minting rights and issued rijksdaalders, double rijksdaalders, and half rijksdaalders in limited quantities, typically featuring the reigning emperor on the obverse and the abbey’s arms on the reverse.
Emperor Maximilian II reigned from 1564 to 1576 and is known for his moderate approach to religious tensions during the Reformation. The date 1569 places this coin in the early years of the Eighty Years’ War (1568–1648). The proximity of the abbey to the Habsburg Netherlands explains why these issues are traditionally included in Dutch numismatic catalogues.

Rarity
Listed by Delmonte as 512, with rarity R2. Half rijksdaalders of 1569 issued under Christoph von Manderscheid are seldom encountered and classified as very rare.

Specifications

Denomination: 1/2 Rijksdaalder

Year: 1569

Mint: Poulseur

Lord: Christoph von Manderscheid, Prince-Abbot of Stavelot-Malmedy

Obverse portrait: Emperor Maximilian II

Metal: Silver

Weight: 14.35 g

Reference: Delmonte 512 (R2)



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