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"Well, that's all .." - thought Ludwig. He looked at the crown that he held in his hands, the crown that would never adorn his head, then looked at his son - Maximilian stood agitated by the importance of the moment. His eyes were shining, but he was silent, realizing how difficult it must be for his father now. Ludwig was also silent. The events of the last days flashed before his eyes - the resignation of the Government, processions of the masses chanting revolutionary slogans, students singing at the top of their lungs the dirty rhymes of Heine, the impudent upstart, "Songs of praise in honor of King Ludwig," as they mockingly called them. And most importantly, the shameful arrest of Lola at the train station, where she, Baroness von Landsfeld, was publicly insulted by being taken into a police carriage and handcuffed like some kind of common criminal, in order to be later expelled from the country. “No, I don’t want to be the King of these people anymore - something dreadful has happened to my native Bavaria,” Ludwig thought. "The more you give to these people, the more they demand of you, and the more unhappy they become. Palaces, monuments, museums, folk festivals - these are not enough. Now they shout from every street corner how bad King Ludwig is with his patronage and frivolity - even his poems have been doused with mud, and every peasant in Bavaria knows about the king's mistresses. And now there is also a revolution - a fire in Europe is not enough for them, so now Germany has also decided to go out into the streets, you see, the government is not to their liking! No! Run! Leave this ungrateful country!"
Maximilian was also silent. He understood that his father refuses the crown for a reason. All popular protests and revolutionary movements do not start from scratch - and in this case, it was his father's love affairs that led to the collapse of the entire political regime in Bavaria. It was Lola Montez's influence on the king that led to the change of von Abel's clerical ministry (Karl von Abel, Bavarian statesman), and then to the moderate government of Maurer (George Ludwig Maurer, German Statesman). When Prince Ludwig von Oettingen-Wallerstein became the first minister, the whole country began to laugh - everyone knew that he was one of the favorites of the Baroness von Landsfeld (Countess of Landsfeld). At the same time, the people assigned to the government the nickname “Ministry of Lola." And then the students joined, and street protests began. The general love for the king just as quickly morphed into universal hatred - now, the name of King Ludwig was ridiculed in the songs and rhymes of German poets and was berated at every street corner. Yes, it's time for old man Ludwig to retire, but did he want this, the young Crown Prince? He will have to inherit from his father a country not only full of contradictions, but on the verge of revolutionary collapse, with all its economic and political problems. It will not be an easy path, but he, Maximilian, is ready to overcome any difficulties - he is the King for his country!
Maximilian raised his head and looked firmly at his father. "My son!…." - was all that Ludwig could say, as there were tears in his eyes. His hands trembled and he rather held out the crown to Maximilian, fearing that it would fall out of his fingers, which had become disobedient.
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In total, during the reign of Ludwig I, 38 commemorative historical thalers were issued, possessing the medals' highly artistic qualities and dedicated to various historical events. Maximilian tried to continue the traditions of his father and also minted "historical coins" during his reign, but ultimately discontinued their issue in 1856. In total, during the period from 1830 to 1836, 56214 conventional thalers were issued - an average of 8700 thalers per year. Since 1834, historical thalers were issued only on special occasions, as commemorative medals and salaries for parliamentarians. A separate expense item for commemorative coins was the organization of Oktoberfestivals and the maintenance of schools. This explains the high quality of most coins in the hands of modern collectors - these thalers were rarely in circulation. We also hope that with the help of our essays, even more collectors will be interested in the life and numismatic work of the wonderful monarch, Great Ruler, Ludwig (Louis) I of Bayern, Son of Maximilian I Joseph, Duke of Swabia, Count Palatine of the Rhine etc. etc. etc .. but our journey is over.
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German Talers since 1800 by John S. Davenport.
Bavaria, King Ludwig Series (1825 - 1848).
2 Taler 1848, ABDICATION.
Davenport 597, KM 829, Thun 88, AKS 111, J.79, Schw. 35.
On the Abdication of Ludwig I in favor of his son Maximilian.
Obverse: Head of the Ludwig to the right, LUDWIG I KOENIG VON BAYERN.
Reverse: LUDWIG I GIEBT DIE KRONE AN SEINEN SOHN MAXIMILIAN , AM 20 MAERZ 1848 below. Scene with King giving crown to his son.
37.1200 g., 0.9000 Silver, 1.0740 oz. ASW.
PCGS MS 61.
We are offering the RAREST specimens from so-called "Historic Talers" of the King Ludwig I of Bavaria - 2 Talers 1848 for the Abdication of King Ludwig I in favor of his son Maximilian. The last in Historic Coins Series and definitely one of the most desirable pieces for any German Coin collectors! Uncirculated fields with heavy bronze toning, shiny reflective surfaces with touch of rainbow, spectacular details of the design! Some contact and rubbing marks on the fields. Certified and encapsulated by PCGS. Graded as MS 61. Another great collectible and investment item!