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1 Thaler - John George II Death
| Issuer | Saxony (Albertinian Line), Electorate of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1680 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 29.0 g |
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|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | The reverse bears a sixteen-line Latin funerary inscription in capital letters, filling the entire field, commemorating the death of John George II, Elector of Saxony, Archmarshal of the Holy Roman Empire, and Duke of the Mountains. The text records his titles in full, the duration of his reign as Elector and Vicar, his birth on 31 May 1613, and his death on 22 August 1680, at the age of 67 years, 2 months, and several days. The inscription begins NUMMUS EXEQUIALIS ET MEMORIALIS IOHANNIS GEORGII II. A small mintmaster's mark appears in the exergue below the final line. |
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| Additional information |
John George II died in August 1680 after a reign defined less by political achievement than by lavish court expenditure — his Dresden establishment was among the most expensive in the Holy Roman Empire, modeled consciously on Versailles. These memorial thalers were struck in the immediate aftermath of his death, a Saxony tradition by then well-established, serving both as dynastic propaganda and as gifts distributed to court officials and foreign dignitaries attending the funeral ceremonies.
The Albertinian mint at Dresden produced several die varieties for this issue; the Schnee and Clauß-Kahnt catalogues diverge slightly on their classifications, making precise attribution dependent on careful comparison of the reverse inscription spacing and the specific punch used for the electoral arms.