1/2 Klippe Thaler - Markus Sittikus von Hohenems

Markus Sittikus von Hohenems became Archbishop of Salzburg in 1612 largely through Habsburg influence, his uncle Wolf Dietrich having been deposed and imprisoned — in Salzburg's own Hohensalzburg fortress, where he died. The klippe format, with its square-cut flan, was not mere aesthetic choice: such pieces were frequently struck as presentation gifts or distributed at court ceremonies, and the archbishopric's mining revenues from the Salzburg alpine region gave it both the silver and the political prestige to produce them.

The Zöttl reference range spanning five numbers reflects minor die variations across the five years of issue rather than distinct subtypes.