Lazarus Ercker

Lazarus Ercker (c. 1530 – 1594) was a Bohemian metallurgist and assay master of a mint near Prague who wrote some of the earliest known treatises on metallurgy entitled Beschreibung allerfürnemisten mineralischen Ertzt und Berckwercksarten (1574) and Münzbuch, wie es mit den Münzen gehalten sind (1563).

Around 1554 he became an assayer at Dresden through the patronage of Elector Augustus with the influence of Johann Neese (a relative of his wife).

His 1574 book Beschreibung allerfürnemisten mineralischen Ertzt und Berckwercksarten described the production of alloys and refining of several metals including silver, gold, copper, antimony, bismuth, tin, lead and mercury.

Under Rudolf II he became master of the mint in Prague and was knighted (and known as Lazarus Ercker von Schreckenfels) on 10 March 1586.

[2] Ercker's 1574 book was translated into English by Sir John Pettus as Fleta Minor in 1683 with the original woodcuts redrawn with some modifications.