2 Thalers - Francis Louis of Erthal

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.