⅙ Thaler - John William II

John William II of Palatinate-Neuburg — Elector Palatine from 1690 until his death in 1716 — spent much of his reign attempting to restore Catholic worship in the Reformed Palatinate, a campaign that triggered the Religionsdeklaration of 1705 and drew protests from Protestant princes across the Empire. His coinage of this period reflects the administrative ambitions of a ruler who controlled far less territory than his electoral title implied, issuing denominations down to fractional thalers in part to assert monetary authority over a fragmented domain. John William died without legitimate heirs, extinguishing the Neuburg line.