4 Thalers - John George I

John George I had only just become Elector in 1611, and the Saxon mints were already producing multiple-thaler presentation pieces of this scale for diplomatic gift-giving and court display. The 4-thaler format was never intended to circulate — pieces of this weight moved between princes, not pockets. Davenport's ST#7570 and Schnee#783 both confirm the type, placing this within a well-documented run of Saxon showpieces from the years before the Thirty Years' War consumed the Electorate's finances and attention entirely.