Albert I inherited Austria following the death of his father Rudolf I of Habsburg in 1291, but his authority over the duchy dated from 1282 when Rudolf formally invested both Albert and his brother Rudolf II as co-rulers — the first time the Habsburgs held Austria as a hereditary possession rather than an imperial appointment. Rudolf II was bought out within a year, leaving Albert sole duke. These bracteate-style pfennigs were the working currency of a duchy still consolidating Habsburg administrative control, and the Vienna mint was actively reorganized under Albert's tenure.
Albert I inherited Austria following the death of his father Rudolf I of Habsburg in 1291, but his authority over the duchy dated from 1282 when Rudolf formally invested both Albert and his brother Rudolf II as co-rulers — the first time the Habsburgs held Austria as a hereditary possession rather than an imperial appointment. Rudolf II was bought out within a year, leaving Albert sole duke. These bracteate-style pfennigs were the working currency of a duchy still consolidating Habsburg administrative control, and the Vienna mint was actively reorganized under Albert's tenure.