1/2 Groot - Charles V

Charles V was not yet Holy Roman Emperor when this piece was struck — he was a child, nominally Duke of Brabant from 1506 under regency governance, with his grandfather Maximilian I wielding the actual authority. The coinage issued in his name during these years was a political tool as much as anything else, establishing the Habsburg succession in the Low Countries before Charles had any real power to exercise.

Billon issues of this fineness circulated hard and were frequently clipped or counterfeited, making intact examples with full flans worth noting.