(1606-19) 2 Thaler

The Free Hanseatic city of Hamburg struck an extensive series of silver Christmas Thalers. Undated, they were issued between 1606 and 1619 and again between 1635 and 1668, in denominations ranging from a quarter thaler up to two thalers. There is some discussion among scholars about the purpose these coins served. Some historians have suggested they were probably intended as Christmas gifts; others have advanced the notion that prominent members of the city council simply wanted to promote their power and associate themselves with specific biblical symbols.

Regardless of which theory is true, what makes this particular Thaler stand out is its intricate iconography.

Most later nativity thalers are executed in a rather crude style, often reflecting certain folk-art traditions. This is mostly because most die cutters either were not interested in the nativity - preferring legends and farces above biblical tales - or did not have sufficient experience with sculptural rendering in higher relief. The medalist who prepared the dies for this Thaler, on the other hand, was a master of visual storytelling, paying close attention to the figures involved in each scene. The design particularly shows the artist's skill in representing the human body and clothing: baby Jesus, for example, has the proportions of an infant, and the drapery of Christ's followers matches their worshipful posture.

German Thalers depicting the nativity are extremely rare, with most extant examples having been mounted for wear as religious tokens. This piece survives unmounted and uncirculated, with the deep original relief and cathedral-grey surfaces that the engraver intended - a double-thaler weight canvas for one of the great devotional designs in the German series.