The 2 Joachimsthaler is among the earliest large-denomination silver strikes from the Schlick mint at Joachimsthal, opened in 1519 after Stephan Schlick secured mining rights over the extraordinarily rich silver deposits of the Erzgebirge. The double weight — pushing nearly 58 grams — was not a standard production decision but a direct response to merchant demand for a coin capable of replacing multiple smaller denominations in single-transaction clearing. Few mints in 1520 had the technical infrastructure to strike consistently at this mass.
The town that gave the coin its name would eventually lend that name to every major silver coin in the Western world: "thaler," and from it, "dollar."
The 2 Joachimsthaler is among the earliest large-denomination silver strikes from the Schlick mint at Joachimsthal, opened in 1519 after Stephan Schlick secured mining rights over the extraordinarily rich silver deposits of the Erzgebirge. The double weight — pushing nearly 58 grams — was not a standard production decision but a direct response to merchant demand for a coin capable of replacing multiple smaller denominations in single-transaction clearing. Few mints in 1520 had the technical infrastructure to strike consistently at this mass.
The town that gave the coin its name would eventually lend that name to every major silver coin in the Western world: "thaler," and from it, "dollar."