1 Thaler States of Germany Silver

1611, Saxony, Christian II. Broadly Struck “Funeral” Thaler Coin. Rare Overtype!

Mint Place: Dresden
Mint Year: 1611 (1-Year Type!)
Denomination: Silver Thaler / Reichsthaler - Death of Christian II
Reference: Davenport 7569, Scnee 777, Keilitz/Kahnt 272, KM-43
Rulers: Christian II, with Johann Georg & Augustus, and Friedrich Wilhelm of Saxe-Altenburg as Regent.
Diameter: 47mm
Weight: 28.88gm
Material: Silver

Obverse: Two bands of legend with a central medallion showing armored and draped bust of Christian II and date (AN. MDCXI = 1611).
Outer Legend: MEM . FVN . CHRIST : II . S . R . I . AR . ARCHIM . E . EL . ELD : S : IV . CLE . MONT PACIF . BEN
Inner Legend: NAT : XXIII . SEPT . A . M . DLXXXIII . DENAT . XXIII . IVN . II

Reverse: Inscription in six lines within double-border.
Legend: PRO FIDE SVPRA FIDEM DEO ET CAESARI MORS RAPVIT MON DEFICIT ALTER

For your consideration a magnificent, broadly struck (47mm!) silver thaler coins, issued on to commemorate the funeral of Christian II using an earlier thaler type (Davenport 7561) as planchet. This is a very rare type, struck during 1611 only. Only few pieces of this type are being offered, and only few seem to have been struck. A very important and beautiful 1-year over-type thaler!

The Albertine line was founded by Albrecht the Courageous, who was a grandson of Friedrick, margrave of Meissen and Thuringia. Friedrick’s gransdons Ernst and Albrecht divided the family property in 1495 ( into the Ernestine and Albertine lines) with Albert obtaining Meissn and Osterland, in what later became the kingdom of Saxony.

Christian II (b. Dresden, 23 September, 1583 – d. Dresden, 23 June, 1611) was a Elector of Saxony and member of the House of Wettin. He was the eldest son of Christian I of Saxony and Sophie of Brandenburg. Christian succeeded his father as Elector of Saxony in 1591, with only eight years. For this, his kinsman, the Duke Frederick Wilhelm I of Saxe-Weimar, assumed the regency of the Electorate until 1601, when Christian was declared an adult and began his government. In the course of the event that eventually led to the Thirty Years' War, his refusal to step the union of Abhausen deepened the division between the Protestant German states. In Dresden on 12 September 1602, Christian married with Hedwig, daughter of the King Frederick II of Denmark. This marriage was childless. Without direct heirs, on his death his brother Johann Georg succeeded him as Elector.