2 Thalers - Damian Hartard of the Leyen

Damian Hartard von der Leyen held the archiepiscopal throne of Mainz from 1675 until his death in 1678 — one of the shortest reigns in the electorate's early modern history. His elevation came in the chaotic aftermath of the Franco-Dutch War, with Louis XIV's armies operating uncomfortably close to Rhenish territories. A double thaler of this reign is rare by simple arithmetic: three years of rule, limited occasion for large-denomination strikes, and a mint at Mainz that was never among the most prolific producers of multiple-thaler pieces even in stable times.