Dr. Eric W. Gritsch

It is widely held that, had it not been for the invention of the printing press around 1440 by Johannes Gutenberg, the posting of Martin Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg on October 31, 1517, might have ended in nothing more than a theological debate among the scholars and students at the University of Wittenberg. The printing press enabled Luther’s action to become known as “the hammer blows heard around the world.”

What is not as well known is that the sixteenth century also witnessed the flowering of new means for striking medals and coins. Artists, sculptors, woodcutters, and other craftsmen could now make these durable miniature pieces of art to propagate the reform of the church creatively through words of Scripture, symbols,and stories from the life of Luther and the events of the Reformation. For a rather low price, the new middle class arising in Europe could collect these objects that were easy to store, display, and transport.

The expectation was that they would also be treasured by future generations, bringing to remembrance historical events of which their ancestorswere a part. Those hammer blows heard and circulated via the printing press were also spread via medals and coins. And were they ever spread!  Spread to the point that more different medals and coins have been struck relating to Luther and his life and teachings than any other single person in history.

-The Numismatic LutherFrederick J. SchumacherLutheran Forum Fall 2014

 (This page is under construction)

Please enjoy the slideshow below:

Luther Medals of the Modern Era with Slideshow:

New 500th Reformation Medalions with Slideshow:

Rev. Doctor Fred Schumacher
has researched and collected and has even collaborated in the creation of the unique numismatic art form of Luther Medals.

The Eric W. Gritsch Memorial Fund thanks him for sharing these images here.