Ottokar II acquired Austria in 1251 by marrying the Babenberg heiress Margaret, and these small bracteate-style pfennigs were struck during his tenure as duke before his far more famous conflicts with Rudolf of Habsburg brought his ambitions — and eventually his life — to an end at the Battle on the Marchfeld in 1278. The Wien mint was the dominant production center for Austrian coinage throughout his rule.
At 0.61 grams, these were among the lightest circulating silver pieces of the period, a practical response to the thin-flan minting traditions of the eastern Alpine region.
Ottokar II acquired Austria in 1251 by marrying the Babenberg heiress Margaret, and these small bracteate-style pfennigs were struck during his tenure as duke before his far more famous conflicts with Rudolf of Habsburg brought his ambitions — and eventually his life — to an end at the Battle on the Marchfeld in 1278. The Wien mint was the dominant production center for Austrian coinage throughout his rule.
At 0.61 grams, these were among the lightest circulating silver pieces of the period, a practical response to the thin-flan minting traditions of the eastern Alpine region.