Ahead of her time and a woman for the ages. While that describes many women featured in our blog series covering Whitman Publishing’s 100 Greatest Women on Coins, this next woman lived up to her reputation. However, doing so even then, she gained even more recognition for her influence years later. With help from author Ron Guth, we will take a deeper dive into the woman described only after her death as a “Renaissance woman.”
#51 – Saint Hildegard of Bingen
Born in Bickelheim, Germany, in 1098, Hildegard Bingen was the youngest of 10 children. Born to a knight and noble woman, she was educated at a local monastery and eventually became a Benedictine nun by her 18th birthday. From a young age, she would often have spiritual visions. However, she would keep them to herself until at the age of 42 she has a life-changing vision that she would go on to declare gave her insight into God’s Word.
After her vision, she would go on to record her experience in her book Scivias (Know the Way). She also started a new monastery at Rupertsburg in 1151 and placed it under the leadership of the Archbishop of Mainz and the protection of the emperor. Travelling and preaching throughout Germany, Switzerland, and France, she promoted justice and morality, criticizing the corruption transgressions of the Catholic Church. She met with spiritual leaders, created ceremonial songs, and wrote books on the causes and cures of human diseases in addition to the medicinal qualities of plants and animals.
A Roman Catholic nun who was also significant writer, composer, preacher, herbalist, and mystic, Saint Hildegard of Bingen died in 1179 at the age of 81. Her books and letters are among the most important documents to survive medieval times.
West Germany issued a 10-mark silver coin in 1998 celebrating the 900th anniversary of her birth. In 2008, a special geo-cache medal was produced by a private firm with the image of Hildegard on the obverse. There are also several medals and pendants that depict her image.
According to Guth, collecting difficulty for the 10-mark silver coin is easy as it is readily available in both Uncirculated and Proof versions. The geo-cache medal is more difficult to track down.