Coronation with the reluctant consent
On 23 May 1611, Matthias II, the younger brother of Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II (1576-1612), was crowned King of Bohemia in St. Vitus Cathedral at Prague Castle. It should be mentioned that this coronation took place with the reluctant consent of Rudolf himself. Despite residing only a short distance away at Prague Castle, the emperor did not attend the ceremony, remaining secluded in his chambers, crippled by severe depression.
For Matthias, the path to the Bohemian throne was fraught with difficulty and marked by a long and bitter personal conflict between the two brothers. Matthias, ambitious and determined, had spent years attempting to unseat Rudolf as the head of the Habsburg dynasty, willing to make significant sacrifices to achieve his goal.
Matthias II
Power struggle among Habsburg brothers
Matthias was an ardent Catholic and an advocate of centralisation, yet political necessity forced him to adopt a conciliatory stance towards the Protestant Estates in Austria, Hungary, and Bohemia. He carefully crafted the image of a future ruler committed to religious tolerance and the defence of provincial freedoms. This strategy proved effective. In 1608, with the military backing of the Hungarian, Austrian, and Moravian Estates, Matthias advanced into Bohemia, aiming to force Rudolf's abdication.
The Bohemian Estates seized the opportunity, compelling Rudolf to sign the Letter of Majesty, which guaranteed religious freedoms in exchange for their loyalty. While this concession allowed Rudolf to retain the Bohemian crown, he was forced to cede control of Hungary, Upper and Lower Austria, and Moravia to his younger brother.
Rudolf II
Bitter and humiliated, Rudolf spent the remainder of his life seeking revenge, enlisting his cousin Leopold, Bishop of Passau, as a willing accomplice with ambitions of his own. In January 1611, Leopold and his army crossed into Bohemia, swiftly capturing several towns and advancing into Prague's Lesser Town. However, their initial successes were short-lived. In the following weeks, the Estates mounted a successful counter-offensive, and Matthias' auxiliary forces approached Prague from Moravia, forcing Leopold to retreat. The failed military campaign cost Rudolf the loyalty of the Bohemian Estates, who subsequently offered the crown of Bohemia to Matthias – a proposal he eagerly accepted.
Despite initial expectations that the new king would quickly return to Vienna after his coronation, Matthias remained in Prague for several months. During this time, he sought to consolidate his power, win the trust of the Bohemian Estates, and establish control over the kingdom. Part of his strategy involved a show of respect for provincial freedoms, the use of provincial symbols, and addressing some of the demands of the provincial assembly long neglected by Rudolf. This brief period of Matthias' cooperation also left a lasting impact on Bohemian coinage.
The Bohemian royal crown adorned the monarch's head on thalers
At the beginning of his reign, the image of St. Wenceslas reappeared on ducats, and the Bohemian royal crown adorned the monarch's head on thalers minted between 1611 and 1613. The reverse side of these coins featured the Bohemian-Austrian coat of arms with the Austro-Hungarian shield, replacing the traditional Habsburg eagle. The dies were crafted by Jan Konrád Greuter, a renowned Prague medallist and flan cutter. The portrait of Matthias on these thalers is considered one of the masterpieces of Bohemian Renaissance portraiture. Thalers featuring the monarch wearing the royal crown of Bohemia are thus undoubtedly among the most exquisite Bohemian coins ever produced.
In our upcoming auction, thalers from the Prague, Kuttenberg, and Joachimsthal mints, dating from 1612, will be offered as lots number 114, 115 and 116.
NUMISMATIC AUCTION #34
The floor auction will take place on Friday, 25 October 2024, at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Prague. The eLive auction will take place from Monday, 28 October 2024 (starting at 06:00 pm), to Thursday, 31 October 2024 (starting at 06:00 pm).
BIDDING METHODS:
The floor auction: in person on the floor, by phone, live bidding via the AUEX auction system, prebiddig via the AUEX auction system
The eLive auction: live bidding via the AUEX auction system, prebiddig via the AUEX auction system
THE AUEX AUCTION SYSTEM:
https://machochlapovic.auex.de/en-us/auctions/current
