Austrian 1560 Innsbruck Thaler

This Innsbruck Thaler from 1560 was struck using silver directly from the Tyrolean mines, a practice that underscored the region's economic dominance in the Holy Roman Empire.

That silver came from veins deep in the Alps, refined and hammered into coins at the Innsbruck mint under Ferdinand I's authority. The obverse bears his portrait, a bold-faced image that reflects the era's advancing engraving techniques. On the reverse, you'll find the imperial eagle, its feathers etched with surprising detail for a coin of that period.

We don't know the exact mintage; records from the 16th century are spotty at best. What we do have are surviving examples, often showing wear from circulation in trade routes across Europe.

Some call it the dollar's forebear, and they're not entirely wrong.