William V — "the Rich," though the epithet was bitterly ironic — presided over Jülich-Kleve-Berg during one of the most strategically contested periods in the lower Rhine territories. His duchies sat between Habsburg and Protestant interests, and William spent much of his reign attempting a neutrality that satisfied neither side. The religious settlement he maintained kept the region from outright war, but at considerable diplomatic cost.
Davenport GT I #8936 places this among the better-documented thalers of the combined duchies. The Dav GT I series distinguishes multiple die marriages across William's long reign — buyers should verify against the specific obverse-reverse pairing before assuming type consistency.
William V — "the Rich," though the epithet was bitterly ironic — presided over Jülich-Kleve-Berg during one of the most strategically contested periods in the lower Rhine territories. His duchies sat between Habsburg and Protestant interests, and William spent much of his reign attempting a neutrality that satisfied neither side. The religious settlement he maintained kept the region from outright war, but at considerable diplomatic cost.
Davenport GT I #8936 places this among the better-documented thalers of the combined duchies. The Dav GT I series distinguishes multiple die marriages across William's long reign — buyers should verify against the specific obverse-reverse pairing before assuming type consistency.