German States (Saxony): silver thaler, "3 Brothers" type, 1596-HB, Dresden mint

German States (Saxony): silver thaler, "3 Brothers" type, 1596-HB, Dresden mint

Obverse: Half-length facing figures of three brothers in circle, head of middle figure divides date, small imperial orb above, titles in legend.
Reverse: FRAT : ET. DV - CES. SAXON, 13-fold arms with central shield of electoral Saxony breaking legend at bottom.
Issuer: Electorate of Saxony, in the names of brothers Christian II, Johan Georg I, and August, sons of Elector Christian I from the Albertine line.
Specifications: Silver, 38 mm approx., 27.06 g. Dresden mint.
Grade: PCGS Genuine; VF detail, "tooling", cert #39640161.
Reference: Numista-40204, Davenport-9820, MB-314 (also Keilitz/Kahnt-186, Schnee-754, per Künker am Dom.*)
Provenance: ex-Künker am Dom, Germany, via MA-Shops, 19 May 2020.* Purchased raw.
Notes: the thaler was a large silver coin weighing about an ounce. The thaler was the ancestor of all later dollar and crown-sized coins. In fact, the word "dollar" was derived from "thaler". Thalers usually had elaborate designs and are avidly sought by collectors.
Comments: I'd collect more thalers if I could, but they can be pricey, and "thalermania" is not a condition I could afford! But I'm happy to have this one. I've always liked this "Three Brothers" type, even when the boys look a tad spooky. (Especially when they look a tad spooky.) This is an attractively toned example, too.
*Post-slab update: the "Genuine/VF details" outcome at PCGS was disappointing, and the notation about "tooling" a tad mysterious, as I do not see any trace of tooling on the obverse or reverse of the coin. I suspect there must be some subtle traces of an old mount removal on the edge. Thalers of this era were often mounted with attachments (silver loops) so they could be worn like medallions, and it is not uncommon for such mounts to have been later removed, and thus "tooled" (filed slightly) in the process.















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That painting struck me as well. He looks just like some people I know. I can easily imagine him wearing a sports jersey and driving a pickup truck. Old paintings of this era really fascinate me.

I remember visiting the Mint Museum in Charlotte, NC, which exhibits a lot more than just coins. I was actually more interested in some of the art than I was in all of the rare gold C-mint coins on display, which all looked alike.

 

This coin is on its way back from PCGS. Disappointingly, it failed to straight-grade. They ruled it Genuine - VF Details (98 - Damage). As of this typing, before I have it back in hand, I have no clue where the "damage" is. I don't think it's the flat area on the reverse- that looks like fairly typical strike weakness. I suspect there must be traces of an old removed mount on the edge somewhere. That's a common issue with thalers. It certainly doesn't affect the eye appeal in this particular case. I still think this is a handsome coin due to the attractive toning and the neat design. Plus, these big pieces of early silver are just so impressive in hand.

Look how surprisingly similar the previous (seller's) images and the TrueView are.