Find Spot record MDO24789 - Jetton found at Tarrant Rawston

Jetton - copper alloy - Hanns Krauwinckel - possibly holed for wearing or carrying - diameter 21mm - orb type (1).

Hans Krauwinckel II, son of Damianus and nephew of Hans I, entered the family business in partnership with his brother Egidius. Hans II was first recorded on 26th. November 1586. This was some two months after the death of Hans I had left Egidius as head of the family firm. A few years later Hans II's wife Anna received her first mention on 10th. December 1593 when they bought a new house. On 4th. May 1610 Hans was noted to be striking Rechenpfennige "unter des Konigs in Hispanien Namen und Geprag" (under the Spanish king's name and form). His links with Christian Maler, the engraver were noted about this time; and also business dealings with Mathes Hess (1st. Nov. 1611). The manufacture of French style jetons by Hans was noted in 1616 (23rd. April) and on the same occasion jetons of Spanish form were once again mentioned. Hans' passing was cited in the Book of the Dead on 10th. March 1635 ('Hans Grohwinckel, spengler und rechenpfennigschlager'). His death brought to an end the primacy of the Krauwinckel family, a position which now passed to Hans' brother - in - law, Georg Lauffer, and to the other members of the Lauffer family.

During the course of his long career the younger Hans issued a wide variety of jetons. A number of these were struck from dies engraved by Valentin Maler (fl. 1568 - d. 1611) and his son Christian (fl. 1603 - 52), a relationship first documented in 1610. Affinities between certain types of jeton struck by Hans II and by Kilian Koch, who also used the services of the Malers, have already been noted. Hans II expanded the family business and went on to establish retail outlets for his jetons in France and in the Netherlands , a situation attested both on his jetons of 'reckoning board type' - "In Franckreich und auch in Niderlont" (Barnard 1917, pp. 66, 236: pl. 48 no. 8) - and also in his documented commercial affairs (cfr. Gebert 1917) . His period of activity was later than the minting reforms of the early 1580's and, in keeping with this, it will be noted that all his jetons have parallel die axes.

1. 'Rose / orb' jetons
These are the most commonly encountered jetons of Hans Krauwinckel II, both in a general sense and also among the jetons recovered from the River Thames in London. It is also noteworthy that more jetons of Hans II have been recovered from the River Thames than those struck by any other named Nuremburg master. His 'Rose / orb' jetons are neatly executed pieces with regular die axes, nearly always aligned at 12 o'clock; rarely at 6 o'clock. His name appears as 'Hanns', in contrast to the spelling 'Hans' on jetons attributed to his uncle, Hans I. Inspection of the numerous die varieties…illustrates the richness of the permutations encountered within this very popular series of jetons.

<1> Michael Mitchiner, 1988, Jetons, Medalets & Tokens; The Medieval Period and Nuremburg, 435 (Monograph). SDO11991.

Record last edited

Feb 16 2012 2:37AM