When Sigismund of Tyrol commissioned the mintage of the first silver guilder groschens instead of golden guilders in 1486, it more or less heralded the birth of the thaler. The term thaler came into use from 1525. The name derives from the Joachimsthaler coin minted in Joachimsthal, Bohemia. Firstly, a shortage of gold made it necessary to find a s...