Rare and extremely desirable Silesian thaler.
The last year of minting the Breslau city thalers.
On the reverse there is a legend taken from the New Testament from the Apocalypse of St. John (Rev 5:5) ECCE VICIT LEO DE TRIBV IVDA (Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah has conquered).
Ex. H.Miller, 2001, lot 36.
Ex. Green Raven Collection.
Obverse: five-field coat of arms of the city of Wrocław, date above
ARGENTEA WRATISLAVIENSIS COIN
Reverse: Czech lion climbing to the left
ECCE VICIT LEO DE TRIBV IVDA
Diameter 40 mm, weight 28.78 g
The monetary reform carried out by the Bohemian king Ferdinand I covered all the countries under his rule, including Silesia. It was introduced in response to the rapidly expanding trade, which required the introduction of coins of higher value and larger denominations.
The first Silesian thalers began to be minted at the royal mint in Wrocław and at the mint in Kłodzko in the years 1540-1541. The following year, thalers were also minted by Frederick II of Legnica, and in 1543 the first thalers minted by the city of Wrocław appeared, using a special city die.
The so-called hard thaler, different from the Silesian thaler, which was only a billable value in a small coin, was a coin intended for large commercial transactions, maintaining a constant value and high quality of the bullion. Over time, as the quality of the small circulation coin deteriorated, the price of the hard thaler rose, reaching a peak in the 1620s.
