4 Ducats - Charles II of Liechtenstein-Kastelkorn

Charles II of Liechtenstein-Kastelkorn served as Prince-Bishop of Olomouc from 1664 until his death in 1695, presiding over the diocese during the long shadow of post-Thirty Years' War reconstruction. The Bishopric retained the right to strike its own coinage — including high-denomination gold multiples like this four-ducat piece — a privilege jealously maintained by ecclesiastical princes throughout the Holy Roman Empire even as imperial centralization steadily eroded such prerogatives.

Four-ducat pieces from this issue were almost certainly presentation strikes rather than circulating currency, intended as diplomatic gifts or chapter rewards. Surviving examples tend toward higher preservation as a direct consequence.