Rudolf II clung to the Bohemian and imperial crowns long after his mental deterioration had made effective governance impossible, eventually forced by his own brother Matthias to abdicate Hungary in 1606 and Bohemia in 1611. These final Hall thalers were struck in the last year of his reign — he died in January 1612 — by a mint that had served the Habsburgs continuously since 1477. The MT#385 and MT#387 references indicate at least two distinct die marriages for this issue, a detail that rewards closer attribution work on any surviving example.
Rudolf II clung to the Bohemian and imperial crowns long after his mental deterioration had made effective governance impossible, eventually forced by his own brother Matthias to abdicate Hungary in 1606 and Bohemia in 1611. These final Hall thalers were struck in the last year of his reign — he died in January 1612 — by a mint that had served the Habsburgs continuously since 1477. The MT#385 and MT#387 references indicate at least two distinct die marriages for this issue, a detail that rewards closer attribution work on any surviving example.