Thaler - Charles III

Charles III was only eleven years old in 1554, ruling under the regency of his mother Christina of Denmark. The coins struck in his name during these early regency years carry his title but reflect decisions made entirely by the ducal court around him. Lorraine sat between the Habsburgs and the French crown, and maintaining a thaler-weight silver coinage was a deliberate assertion of the duchy's independence from both neighbors.

Davenport's attribution to GT I#9383 places this among the earliest thalers of the series. Relatively few have surfaced in northern European auction records compared to later Charles III issues from his personal rule after 1559.