be prevented by the minting of inferior coins. The Baroque Prince, Duke Albert, died in 1699 without any surviving descendants. This was followed by the usual inheritance disputes. Saxe-Hildburghausen got the District of Sonnefeld in 1707. Between Bernhard I of Saxe-Meiningen and his youngest brother John Ernest IV of Saxe-Saalfeld, strife lasted for thirty-five years, ending only in 1735 with several interventions from the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles VI, in Vienna. Saxe-Meiningen received the District of Neuhaus am Rennweg and the jurisdiction of Sonneberg while Saxe-Saalfeld was united with the remaining territories of Saxe-Coburg to become Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. In 1753, it grew with the one-third of the Duchy of Saxe-Römhild, which had expired with the death of its only Duke, the childless Henry, Duke of Saxe-Römhild. Duke Francis Josias Duke Johann Ernest of Saxe-Saalfeld died in 1729. Afterwards, his sons Christian Ernest II and Francis Josias ruled the country together but in different residences. Christian Ernest remained in Saalfeld while Francis Josias chose Coburg as his residence and his decision would stand until the end of the monarchy in 1918. In 1745, Francis Josias inherited parts of Saxe-Coburg from his brother. In 1747, he was able to anchor his birthright (primogeniture) in the Line of Succession Laws and confer it on his rapidly growing family for the long-term survival of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. In 1806, with the fall of the Holy Roman Empire, the Duchy became fully and truly independent. In 1826, with the extensive rearrangement of the Ernestine duchies, Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld changed its name to Saxe-Coburg and Gotha with the personal union of two different duchies, Coburg and Gotha. Sovereigns of Saxe-Coburg Saxe-Coburg 1572–1638 1572–1586 Augustus, Elector of Saxony, Regent on behalf of John Casimir and John Ernest, the sons of Elector John Frederick II “the Middle” 1586–1596 Duke John Casimir, jointly with his brother John Ernest 1596–1633 Johann Casimir (1564–1633), alone 1633–1638 John Ernest, Duke of Saxe-Eisenach, brother of the previous Duke 1639–1669 Frederick William II, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg 1669–1672 Frederick William III, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg, son of the previous Duke, with John George II, Elector of Saxony and Maurice, Duke of Saxe-Zeitz as his Regents 1672–1674 Ernest I “the Pious”, Duke of Saxe-Gotha 1674–1680 Frederick I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha, 1st son of the previous Duke Saxe-Coburg 1681–1735 1681–1699 Albert V, 2nd son of Ernest I “the Pious” 1699–1729 Johann Ernest IV, also Duke of Saxe-Saalfeld, 7th and youngest