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2 Thalers - Francis Louis of Erthal
| Issuer | Bishopric of Würzburg |
|---|---|
| Year | 1786-1791 |
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| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
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|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | A winged putto, personifying industry and reward, kneels upon a stepped plinth to the left of a terrestrial globe accompanied by an open book, a telescope, and a cornucopia overflowing with coins and produce — symbolic of the fruits of labour and learning. The putto raises an olive or laurel branch aloft in its right hand. The date is divided on either side of the plinth (17 - 86), with the mint-master's initials M·P below. The upper legend reads MERCES LABORUM (The Reward of Labours), while the lower exergual inscription within a cartouche on the plinth reads V. EINE FEINE MARCK, indicating the coin's fine silver standard as one-fifth of a Cologne Mark. |
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| Additional information |
Francis Louis von Erthal served simultaneously as Prince-Bishop of both Würzburg and Bamberg from 1779 until his death in 1795, one of the last figures to hold substantial secular and ecclesiastical authority in the region before Napoleon dissolved the ecclesiastical principalities of the Holy Roman Empire. His tenure coincided with the Josephinist reforms sweeping through neighboring Habsburg territories, pressures he navigated carefully. The double thaler format was reserved for prestige purposes — presentation, diplomatic gift, or cabinet piece — rather than routine commerce, which explains why so few survivors show meaningful wear.