1½ Thalers - Stephen Death

The death of Stephen Schlick in 1526 prompted his heirs to issue this mourning piece — a practice among German noble families that merged dynastic commemoration with the emerging traditions of large-format silver coinage then being pioneered by the Schlicks themselves. The family's Joachimsthal mint had only recently begun striking the heavy silver coins that would give the thaler its name, making this piece simultaneous with the birth of that denomination.

At roughly 42 grams, it falls into the 1½ thaler weight standard, a format used almost exclusively for presentation and memorial purposes rather than commercial exchange.