Kreuzer - Rudolph IV Meran

Rudolph IV of Habsburg acquired Tyrol through a treaty signed with Margarete Maultasch in 1363 — effectively the purchase of an entire county in exchange for financial support and a guarantee of her protection in old age. The Meran mint, one of the oldest in the Tyrolian system, was already operational when Rudolph took control, and these kreuzer represent some of the earliest issues struck under direct Habsburg authority over the region. Rudolph died in 1365, meaning this type spans almost precisely his entire tenure as Count of Tyrol.