German Ducat Coin Pendant

Ancient Germanic tribes worshipped, as did most other civilizations of antiquity, sun gods, war gods, gods of the woods and water, gods for luck, gods for revenge, gods for anything and everything. Christianity was introduced early on, but it took centuries for it to gain a foothold. With the creation of the Holy Roman Empire in 962 AD, Germany became a central cog in that huge religious wheel, but remained a patchwork of small temporal and ecclesiastical principalities and free states.

Emperors of the Holy Roman Empire served also as Kings of Germany. It was a split of responsibility that left the German Dukes and their vassals relatively free to increase their power at the expense of the central authority. The presence of the Holy Roman Empire as the political authority over the German people endowed them with a strong religious sense.

This sense remained a powerful factor for Germany long after the collapse of the Holy Roman Empire. This beautiful coin is a reflection of that religious sense and its importance and influence in the daily lives of the German people.