Ernest August, Bishop of Osnabrück and later the first Elector of Hanover, struck these thalers from silver drawn directly from the Harz Mountain mines — the "Ausbeute" designation meaning the coin was produced from a specific mining yield, a practice that tied aristocratic prestige directly to mineral extraction. The Harz silver workings at Clausthal and Zellerfeld were among the most productive in the Holy Roman Empire, and controlling their output was both an economic and political statement. Several north German dynasties issued Ausbeute coinage to advertise mining revenues to potential creditors and allies.
The Welter 1960 attribution places this firmly within Ernest August's Calenberg output before his elevation to the electorate in 1692.
Ernest August, Bishop of Osnabrück and later the first Elector of Hanover, struck these thalers from silver drawn directly from the Harz Mountain mines — the "Ausbeute" designation meaning the coin was produced from a specific mining yield, a practice that tied aristocratic prestige directly to mineral extraction. The Harz silver workings at Clausthal and Zellerfeld were among the most productive in the Holy Roman Empire, and controlling their output was both an economic and political statement. Several north German dynasties issued Ausbeute coinage to advertise mining revenues to potential creditors and allies.
The Welter 1960 attribution places this firmly within Ernest August's Calenberg output before his elevation to the electorate in 1692.