Eagle groschen - Meinhard I / Albert II Meran

The eagle groschen of Tyrol is among the earliest groschen-denomination coins struck north of the Alps, appearing in Merano roughly contemporaneous with the great groat coinages spreading out of Tours and Florence. Meinhard I and his brother Albert II ruled Tyrol jointly under their mother Adelheid until Meinhard consolidated sole control — the joint attribution on this type reflects that contested, transitional authority rather than a stable co-regency.

Merano's mint benefited directly from the Adige valley's position on the Brenner trade route, where toll revenues and silver from Trentino-area mines gave the counts both the metal and the commercial motivation to issue a heavy silver piece acceptable to merchants crossing into Italy.