World coins chat: German States - Jülich-Berg & Cleves

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The Duchy of Jülich-Berg was a state of the Holy Roman Empire that was the result of the merger of Jülich and Berg in 1423 and existed until French annexation during the Napoleonic Wars. From 1521 until 1614 the Duchy of Cleves was also part of this entity. Jülich-Berg was located on both sides of the Rhine River in what is now located near the Dutch border in the German federal state of North Rhine Westphalia.

History
The County of Jülich dates back to the 11th century, with the title of count first mentioned in 1081. It was raised to a duchy in 1356. From 1371 until 1423 Jülich and Guelders (now a Dutch province) were in personal union.

A succession crisis in 1423 moved Guelders under Hollandic influence and Jülich was merged with the Duchy of Berg to form Jülich-Berg. Jülich-Berg also included a number of significant exclaves, amongst other Ravensberg and Mark. In 1521 the Duchy of Cleves joined to form the United Duchies of Jülich-Berg-Cleves.

Another succession crisis caused the War of the Jülich Succession (1609-1614) which ran across religious divisions. The result was the Treaty of Xanten where Cleves was ceded to Brandenburg (from 1701 known as the Kingdom Prussia) and Jülich-Berg to the Count of Pfalz-Neuburg. In 1742 Jülich-Berg was passed to the County of Pfalz-Sulzbach which united with Bavaria in 1777.


Map of the western part of the Holy Roman Empire in 1618. Jülich-Berg in green and the Prussian dominions Cleves (Kleve), Mark and Ravensberg in blue. By that time Guelders was already one of the seven provinces of the Dutch Republic.

Jülich was annexed by France in 1794, with Berg becoming a client state known as the Grand Duchy of Berg. At that time Berg also included territories that had belonged to the bishoprics of Münster and Cologne. After the Napoleonic Wars most of the region (including Cologne) was awarded to Prussia in 1815, with a small part joining the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The larger region formed the federal state of North Rhine Westphalia after the Second World War.

Currency and coins
The coinages of Jülich-Berg were heavily influenced by Cologne and the Low Countries. In the Middle Ages the Goldgulden was the unit of account, worth 24 Albus (Weisspfennig) each of 12 Heller. Over time the Goldgulden increased in value versus the Gulden as unit of account.

The Stüber was a Dutch coin that spread to this part of Germany. In Jülich-Berg the Stüber was eventually valued at 16 Heller. By the 1700's a Thaler was equal to 60 Stüber, 80 Albus or 480 Heller. A coin of 8 Heller was known as a Fettmännchen.

The coinage of Cleves was especially influenced by Dutch coinage, with a Gulden worth 20 Stüber each of 8 Deut. A Reichsthaler was 3 Gulden Clevisch.

During the Napoleonic Wars the Duchy and later Grand Duchy of Berg continued to mint coins in its name. Thereafter the Prussian Thaler replaced all previous coinage.

The most frequently found coin of Jülich-Berg were 1/4 Stübers that were struck in large quantities the late 18th century.

Catalogue
Duchy of Jülich-Berg (1423-1521; 1614-1794):
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/julich_berg_duchy-1.html

United Duchies of Jülich-Berg-Cleves (1521-1614):
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/julich_kleve_berg_united_duchies-1.html

City of Jülich siege coinage (1610):
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/julich_city-1.html

Duchy of Cleves (Prussian, 1614-1794):
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/kleve_county-1.html

County of Mark:
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/mark_county-1.html

County of Ravensberg:
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/ravensberg_county-1.html

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