Frankfurt struck this double thaler in 1647, four years into the Peace of Westphalia negotiations that would end the Thirty Years' War the following year. The Free Imperial City had suffered enormously through the conflict — occupied at various points, burdened with quartering troops, and financially strained by imperial demands. Large silver presentation-quality pieces from this period were partly a statement of civic survival and partly instruments of diplomatic exchange, circulating among magistrates and envoys rather than markets.
The Dav ST#5296 designation places this among Davenport's "Schauthalers" — pieces struck to thaler weight but intended for display and gifting rather than trade.
Frankfurt struck this double thaler in 1647, four years into the Peace of Westphalia negotiations that would end the Thirty Years' War the following year. The Free Imperial City had suffered enormously through the conflict — occupied at various points, burdened with quartering troops, and financially strained by imperial demands. Large silver presentation-quality pieces from this period were partly a statement of civic survival and partly instruments of diplomatic exchange, circulating among magistrates and envoys rather than markets.
The Dav ST#5296 designation places this among Davenport's "Schauthalers" — pieces struck to thaler weight but intended for display and gifting rather than trade.