Joachimsthaler silver thaler

The Joachimsthaler is a large silver coin originally struck in the Kingdom of Bohemia, then ruled alongside Hungary by Louis II of the Jagiellonian dynasty. Production was undertaken using silver extracted by the Counts of Schlick from rich deposits near Joachimsthal, modern Jáchymov in the Czech Republic. Following the discovery and opening of the local mines in 1516, the earliest of these pieces appeared from 1518, with regular minting commencing on 15 January 1520.

Conceived as a Bohemian counterpart to the earlier Tyrolean Guldengroschen and Saxon guldiners, the coin was struck to a similar physical module but with slightly lower fineness. The valley name, derived from Saint Joachim combined with the German word Thal, gave rise to the coin's name, which was quickly abbreviated in common speech to thaler or taler in German and tolar in Czech. This designation became the etymological progenitor of numerous European currencies as well as the dollar. During the seventeenth century, surviving specimens also circulated in the Tsardom of Russia under the name yefimok, before the type was broadly superseded by the Holy Roman Empire's Reichsthaler.

Weighing approximately 29 grams—within the broader thaler specification of 25 to 30 grams—and measuring around 40 millimetres in diameter, the coin represents the earliest standard thaler-size issue. The design distinctly features Saint Joachim, the father of the Virgin Mary, depicted alongside the heraldic Bohemian lion, which was stamped upon the reverse. These motifs directly identify the original Bohemian minting amongst the various valley pieces that subsequently copied its weight and format.