Johann Georg I (1585–1656) ruled the Electorate of Saxony from 1611 until his death in 1656, a 45 year reign which was almost entirely consumed by the Thirty Years' War. A staunch Lutheran but no firebrand, he spent the war flip-flopping between Emperor Ferdinand II and Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden. His aim as the ruler of an extremely small territory, his goal was to keep Saxony intact. He was more well known for his hedonistic lifestyle. In fact he earned the Swedish nickname "Öl Göran - Beer Göran for his legendary appetites. Additionally, contemporaries grumbled he just wanted to drink beer, and he reportedly shot over 150,000 animals during his myriad hunting trips. To fund the dual money pits of war and royal excess, Johann turned to Saxony's Erzgebirge silver mines. Johann Georg is known to have minted numerous multiple talers, struck at 2, 3, 4, and even 10 taler denominations!