COLOGNE (ARCHBISHOPRIC): Ernst of Bavaria, 1583-1612, AR 8 heller (0.78g) (15)74, Noss-unlisted, wavy flan, light oxidation, VF, RRR. Ernst von Bayern had been Bishop of Freising since 1566. Hildesheim considered it advisable in 1573 to elect him as a member of one of the most powerful Catholic royal houses as Bishop of Hildesheim. However, his ambitions were aimed at preserving the Archdiocese of Cologne. With this in mind, he may have struck coins as early as 1574. He lost the election in 1577, before he was elected archbishop in 1583.
Estimate: $125-175