1 Thaler - Henry Julius

Henry Julius ruled Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel from 1589 until his death in 1613, and his reign coincided with a period of aggressive taler production across the Lower Saxon Circle. He was also a playwright of some note — one of the first German princes to maintain a professional theatre company at his court in Wolfenbüttel, a detail that sits oddly against the hard monetary pragmatism these coins represent. The principality's silver supply drew heavily on Harz Mountain mining output, which peaked and began its long decline during precisely this window.