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1/2 Thaler - Rudolph II
| Issuer | Landgraviate of Upper Alsace (Austrian States) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1595-1608 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | KLEM#186 , MT#583 , Hahn#25 |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Crowned ornate composite coat of arms of the Habsburg territories displayed at center, suspended from the chain of the Order of the Golden Fleece arranged in circular form, all contained within a braided inner circle. The shield incorporates the multiple quarterings reflecting Rudolph II's dynastic titles and territorial claims. A continuous Latin legend runs around the outer periphery, referencing his role as Archduke of Austria, Duke of Burgundy, and Landgrave of Alsace, among other dignities. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Rudolph II's administration of the Austrian Habsburgs' Further Austrian territories — including Upper Alsace — was managed largely through appointed governors while Rudolph himself remained fixated on his court at Prague, pursuing alchemy, astrology, and art collection to the near-exclusion of governance. The Landgraviate's coinage from this period reflects that administrative distance: production decisions fell to local officials operating under broad imperial license rather than direct imperial oversight.
The extended 1595–1608 emission spans the years immediately preceding Rudolph's forced abdication of Hungary and Moravia to his brother Matthias, a dynastic crisis rooted in his psychological deterioration and political paralysis.