1665 Wildman Thaler

By Dean Meyer | June 5, 2026 |

Struck in 1665 at Zellerfeld, in the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg (modern-day Clausthal-Zellerfeld, Germany), this remarkable silver Wildman Thaler tells the story of a changing Europe and the power of a German state within the Holy Roman Empire. The reverse features the legendary “Wild Man” — a figure from German folklore shown standing with an uprooted…

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Civil War Fractional Currency

By Dean Meyer | May 29, 2026 |

During the American Civil War, small coins began disappearing from circulation as people hoarded gold and silver out of fear and uncertainty. To solve the problem, the United States government introduced tiny paper notes called Fractional Currency, like the ones shown in this image. Issued between 1862 and 1876, these notes replaced coins for everyday…

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