'Magic coins' and 'magic squares': the discovery of astrological sigils in the Oldenburg Letters

Enclosed in a 1673 letter to Henry Oldenburg were two drawings of a series of astrological sigils, coins and amulets from the collection of Strasbourg mathematician Julius Reichelt (1637–1719). As portrayals of particular medieval and early modern sigils are relatively rare, this paper will analyse the role of these medals in medieval and early modern medicine, the logic behind their perceived efficacy, and their significance in early modern astrological and cabalistic practice. I shall also demonstrate their change in status in the late seventeenth century from potent magical healing amulets tied to the mysteries of the heavens to objects kept in a cabinet for curiosos. The evolving perception of the purpose of sigils mirrored changing early modern beliefs in the occult influences of the heavens upon the body and the natural world, as well as the growing interests among virtuosi in collecting, numismatics and antiquities

Declamation sur l'incertitude, vanité, et abus des sciences, traduite en françois du latin de Henry Corneille Agr. Oeuvre qui peut proffiter, et qui apporte merveilleux contentement à ceux qui frequentent les cours des grands Seigneurs, et qui veullent apprendre à discourir d'une infinité de choses contre la communue opinion.

GLN-2915CDM, p. 103FVB, 284Girard-Le Bouteiller, Basse-Normandie, t. 3, n° 2

HENRICI COR//NELII AGRIPPAE AB NETTES-//heym. De incertitudine & Vanitate scientia-//rum declamatio inuectiua, denuo ab// autore recognita & marginali-//bus Annotationibus aucta

Capita tractandorum totius operis,// sequens indicabit pagellaMutmaßl. Drucker: Cervicornu

HENRICI CORNELII || AGRIPPAE,|| AB NETTESHEYM,|| ARMATAE MILITIAE EQVITIS || AVRATI, ET IVRIS VTRIVSQVE || AC MEDICINAE DOCTORIS,|| OPERA OMNIA,|| IN DVOS TOMOS CONCINNE DIGESTA,|| & nunc denuò sublatis omnibus mendis ... || recusa.|| QVIBVS POST OMNIVM EDITIONES DE || nouo accessit ARS NOTORIA, vt satis indicat || Catalogus post praefationem positus.||(PETRI de Abano Heptameron, seu elementa || Magica ... || De speciebus Magiae Caeremonialis, quam || Goetiam vocant, Epitome G. Pictorij Vil-||lingani ... || De Materia Daemonum ... || Isagoge G. Pictorij ... || Gerardi Cremonensis Geomantiae Astronomi-||cae libellus ... || Arbatel de Magia, seu Pneumatica veterum ... || Ioannis Tritemij abbatis Spanheimensis ... || ex eiusdem || Quaestionum libello, Q. V. de reprobis || Q. VI. de potestate maleficarum:|| ... & Q. VII. de permissione diuina ... ||)

Impressum nach Vorlage:Lyon : Béringue, Godefroy & MarcellinVorlageform des Erscheinungsvermerks: LVGDVNI,|| PER BERINGOS FRATRES.|| ANNO M.DC.||[Straßburg: Lazarus Zetzner]De magia seu pneumatica veterum ArbatelGerardus Toletanus: Geomantiae astronomicae libellusPetrus aus Abano: Heptameron seu elementa magica [EST: Elementa magica]Pictorius, Georg: De materia daemonum [EST: De illorum daemonum qui sub lunari collimitio versantur ortu ...]Pictorius, Georg: De speciebus magiae caeremonialis quam goëticam vocantTrithemius, Johannes: De reprobis atque maleficis quaestio ... [EST: Liber octo quaestionum, Ausz.

HENRICI || CORNELII AGRIP-||PAE LIBER QVARTVS || DE OCCVLTA PHI-||losophia, seu de Ceri-||monijs Ma-||gicis.|| Cui accesserunt, Elementa || Magica Petri de Abano,|| Philosophi.||

Druckerbestimmung durch Herrn Ulrich Kopp (Wolfenbüttel).Vorlageform des Erscheinungsvermerks: Impressum || Anno M.D.LXV.||[Köln: Johann Birckmann]Petrus aus Abano: Elementa magic

Henrici Cornelii Agrippae ab Nettesheym De incertitudine et vanitate scientiarum declamatio invectiva, ex postrema authoris recognitione

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HENRICI CORNELII || AGRIPPAE || AB NETTESHEYM,|| ARMATAE MILITIAE EQVITIS || AVRATI, ET IVRIS VTRIVSQVE || AC MEDICINAE DOCTORIS,|| OPERA,|| IN DVOS TOMOS CONCINNE DIGESTA,|| & nunc denuò sublatis omnibus mendis ... || recusa.|| QVIBVS PRAETER OMNES TABVLAS || nouiter acceßit ARS NOTORIA, quam suo || loco interpositam reperies.||

Impressum nach Vorlage:Lyon : Béringue, Godefroy & MarcellinVorlageform des Erscheinungsvermerks: LVGDVNI,|| PER BERINGOS FRATRES.||[Straßburg: Lazarus Zetzner um 1600