Schlick 1520 2 thaler Dav-8139
This specimen was lot 1775 in Sincona sale 90 (Zürich, May 2024), where it sold for 20,000 CHF (about US$26,428 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"RDR / ÖSTERREICH, Schlick, Grafschaft, Stephan, Burian, Heinrich, Hieronymus und Lorenz, 1505-1532. 2 Taler 1520, Joachimsthal. Mit dem Titel von Ludwig II., König von Ungarn und Böhmen. Ausbeute der Joachimsthaler Gruben. Münzmeister Stephan Gemisch und Utz Gebhart. Äusserst selten. Fast sehr schön. (Austrian states, county of Schlick, Extremely rare, About very fine.)"
Silver was discovered in 1516 in the Ore Mountains and a boom town, St. Joachimsthal, quickly sprung up. The counts of Schlick established a mint there and struck the first "joachimsthalers", quickly shortened to just "thalers". Bohemia passed from the king of Hungary to the Hapsburgs in 1526 and the counts found their mint confiscated. This double thaler was struck during the initial bonanza period.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: silver, this specimen 57.11 g.
Catalog reference: KM MB6, Slg. Donebauer 3745, Dav-8139.
- Craig, William D., Germanic Coinages: Charlemagne through Wilhelm II, Mountain View, CA: 1954.
- Davenport, John S., European Crowns, 1484-1600, Frankfurt: Numismatischer Verlag, 1977.
- Nicol, N. Douglas, Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of German Coins, 1501-Present, 3rd ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2011.
- [1]Richter, Jürg, SINCONA Auction 90, Münzen und Medaillen der Welt, Zürich: SINCONA AG, 2024.
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