Replica of the Czech thaler struck in the Prague mint in 1580 designed by the original coin is minted from one ounce of pure silver. It represents visually a  new type of Czech thalers with unusual depiction of the imperial eagle which was introduced at the beginning of King and Emperor Rudolf II reign. The ruler had a special liking for external representation in the form of coins and therefore he entrusted creation of the design of the new Czech thaler to his court medallist Antonio Abondio. The replicated coin features artistically designed young Rudolf II at the beginning of his rule. The reverse side with “flying“ imperial eagle does not have the same quality as the original master design. In this shape the reverse side of thaler coins was used until 1603, when the ruler’s symbol was replaced with standard heraldic eagle.

The dominant feature of the obverse side is a half-figure of bearheaded Rudolf II viewed from the right, clad in Renaissance clothing with wide “Spanish“ collar. In the field of the reverse side the author of the design placed non-heraldic “flying“ imperial eagle (two-headed), freely designed by Abondio’s master. The imperial crown is placed above the eagle’s heads, while a ruler’s sceptre is by the left talon and a sword by the right talon. On the eagle’s breast we can see the orb – a symbol of the imperial apple with Hapsburg family plate in the middle. The sign of the Prague mintmaster Tobias Gebhart (1577?1583) in the shape of a framed lion’s head is placed at the lower rim of the reverse side. The text in circumscription in Latin containing the name and titles (abbreviations) of the ruler begins at the upper rim and continues to the reverse side, therefore it is necessary to read it as a whole: RVDOLPHVS . II . D[EI] . G[RATIA] . RO[MANORVM] . IM[PERATOR] . S[EMPER] . AV[GVSTVS] . GE[RMANIAE] . HV[NGARIAE] . BO[HEMIAE] . REX . ARCHIDVX . AVSTRI[AE] . DVX . BV[RGVNDIAE] . MA[RCHIO] . MO[RAVIAE] . 1580.  To English it can be freely translated as follows: Rudolf the Second, by God’s Grace Holy Roman Emperor, always Multiplicator of the Empire, King of Germany, Hungary and Bohemia, Archduke of Austria, Duke of Burgundy, Margrave of Moravia 1580.

Limited edition 1,000 pcs.