Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau ruled Salzburg from 1587 as one of the most flamboyant and politically reckless archbishops in the see's history — a nephew of Pope Pius IV who governed more like an Italian Renaissance prince than a Counter-Reformation churchman. His reign ended in 1612 when he was deposed by Bavaria and imprisoned at Hohensalzburg, where he died five years later.
Klippes from his mint are square-cut from gold strip rather than struck on round flans, a format associated with presentation pieces and ceremonial gifts rather than general circulation. The .986 fineness is exceptionally high even by the standards of Habsburg-era ecclesiastical gold.
Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau ruled Salzburg from 1587 as one of the most flamboyant and politically reckless archbishops in the see's history — a nephew of Pope Pius IV who governed more like an Italian Renaissance prince than a Counter-Reformation churchman. His reign ended in 1612 when he was deposed by Bavaria and imprisoned at Hohensalzburg, where he died five years later.
Klippes from his mint are square-cut from gold strip rather than struck on round flans, a format associated with presentation pieces and ceremonial gifts rather than general circulation. The .986 fineness is exceptionally high even by the standards of Habsburg-era ecclesiastical gold.