Gulden - Rudolf von Diepholz

Rudolf von Diepholz served as Bishop of Utrecht from 1433 to 1455 during a prolonged struggle between the chapter's electoral autonomy and the ambitions of Philip the Good of Burgundy, who was steadily absorbing the Low Countries into his domain. Utrecht's ability to strike gold coinage in this period was itself a political act — the bishopric fiercely defended its minting rights against Burgundian encroachment even as neighboring secular lordships capitulated. Rudolf never fully surrendered that prerogative, though Philip extracted significant concessions elsewhere.