FROM ORE TO COIN – Part One
FROM ORE TO COIN – Part One
The journey of ore from underground to the finished thaler was relatively straightforward, but it involved a whole range of specialised trades and professions. It is also important to remember that the mint was not simply a kind of workshop, but a complex operation with a clearly defined hierarchy. Each occupation had its own specific purpose, while two parallel lines of workers operated side by side – complementing one another, and with neither being able to function properly without the other.
The mint therefore combined the craft production of coins with the official administration of the mint itself. In some positions, these two spheres overlapped. Joachimsthal also did not have a permanent and unchanging administrative structure. Its organisation evolved according to who owned and controlled the mint. There was a difference between the way the Schlick mint and the royal mint operated, and the position and duties of some employees changed accordingly.
So what did the journey of silver look like – and who took part in it?
At the beginning was the prospector, the person who identified the site of a future adit or shaft. He was followed by the Schichtmeister, who managed a particular mining operation. Above him stood the Bergmeister, the highest authority within the mining district. He authorised the opening of new mine workings, supervised compliance with mining law and approved the methods used to extract the ore. In Joachimsthal, he also approved the backfilling of barren workings with waste rock.
Another equally important figure was the Markscheider, the mining surveyor. He surveyed new workings in relation to the surrounding workings – their direction, depth, length and relative position. This was particularly important when a vein was being followed deeper underground.
Next came the Schürfer, whose task was to confirm the prospector's work by opening up the ore vein. Only then did the Bergmann, the miner, enter the scene. His task was to extract the ore and bring it to the surface. We also sometimes encounter the term Häuer, referring specifically to a miner working directly at the ore face.
The miner was assisted by a Bergknecht, a general labourer who performed various supporting tasks. Between the Schichtmeister and the miners stood the Steiger, the supervisor responsible for a group of miners. He determined the amount of work to be done and, among other things, the direction and method of driving the workings.
The material brought out of the mine was sorted underground. Ore and waste rock had to be separated so that as little waste as possible was brought to the surface. Above ground, the ore was sorted by hand once again – into rich ore, poor ore and waste rock. While the rich ore could go directly to further processing, the poor ore was sent to the ore-dressing works, where the concentration of the metal it contained was increased.
The poor ore was first broken down with stamp mills and crushing equipment into as fine a material as possible. The crushed material was then washed. The waste rock was washed away, leaving behind the heavier ore minerals. The resulting concentrate was taken over by the smelters, who roasted and smelted the material. This produced a lead-bearing product, which was then subjected to cupellation. The result was litharge and pure silver. Lead was added to the smelting process, but in Joachimsthal it was also naturally present as part of the ore vein itself.
Before we look at what happened to the silver next, however, we need to identify the people responsible for processing the ore.
At the top stood the Hüttenmeister, the master of the smelter, who was responsible for the operation of the works, the organisation of labour and the proper processing of the ore. Below him was the Hüttenschreiber, the smelter's clerk, who had to be familiar with the operation of the works, minerals and ores, and with mining and metallurgy in general.
Next came the Schmelzer, the smelter, who carried out the actual smelting. He had to prepare the charge, determine the proportions of ore and additives, control the temperature and separate the slag. He was assisted by the Schmelzknecht, a smelter's labourer.
Some sources also mention a Röster, or Röstmeister, including Agricola. In the case of Joachimsthal, however, it is not clear whether this was an independent position or whether the work was carried out directly by the smelter.
A crucial role was played by the Probierer, the assayer. He took a small sample of ore or an intermediate metallurgical product, carried out a test smelt and was then able to determine how much metal the charge contained. At the same time, he determined the most suitable method for processing the ore.
Cupellation, the removal of lead through oxidation so that pure silver remained, was then carried out by the Treiber, the cupellation worker.
At the end of the process described here, we therefore have metallic silver. But there was still a long way to go from the Barren, the silver bar, to the finished coin. We will look at the further processing of the metal in the next part.
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