Nassau, Adolph (1839-1866), ½ Gulden 1840
Obv.: Head of Adolph
Rs.: ½ Gulden 1840
As Duke of Nassau, he stepped down from office in 1866. However, his highest-ranking title was to come later: Duke Adolph of Nassau! Expand your collection with a half gulden from 1840!
Duke Adolph of Nassau faced numerous political upheavals during his reign. During the March Revolution, the otherwise conservative ruler found himself compelled to grant civil rights in the duchy for the first time. As Nassau fought on the side of the German Confederation and Austria in the German War, it was annexed by Prussia after the defeat in 1866. Adolph had to resign from his office. In 1890, when the personal union between the Netherlands and Luxembourg ended due to a lack of male heirs, Adolph became the Grand Duke of Luxembourg. This title was his highest rank during his lifetime. At the time of his death in 1905, Adolph was 88 years old and, at that point, the oldest reigning monarch in Europe."
