Written by Greta Gazzaniga
We would like to dedicate today’s article to two specimens of exceptional quality that opened the foreign coins section of our 2025 Christmas Auction: a three-thaler coin and a two-thaler silver coin, both minted in 1614 (lots 426 and 427)
These issues are linked to the history of the Teutonic Order, a religious-military order founded in 1198 during the Third Crusade. Between the 13th and 14th centuries, the Order progressively extended its control over vast territories in Eastern Europe, giving rise to a true monastic state with its epicenter in Prussia, where significant coin production had already begun as early as the 13th century.
The Order’s territorial sovereignty officially ended in 1525, when Albert of Brandenburg, then Grand Master, joined the Lutheran Reformation and secularized the Order’s assets. Despite the loss of the state, the Teutonic Order survived in the following centuries, maintaining a prominent institutional and symbolic role in numerous European cities.
Why were Teutonic coins struck in Austria?
The presence of Teutonic Order coins minted in Austrian territory is explained by the figure of Maximilian III of Habsburg, son of the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian II. From 1585, Maximilian held the office of Grand Master of the Teutonic Order, a position he maintained for the rest of his life. Between 1593 and 1595, he also acquired the title of Archduke of Austria, assuming control of Inner and Further Austria.
Iconographic and technical analysis of the coins
From a numismatic point of view, the two thalers present an element of great interest: they were struck using the same die, differing exclusively in weight. The obverse features a full-length portrait of Archduke Maximilian, a unique case among the Grand Masters of the Teutonic Order. The sovereign is depicted in armor, decorated with the insignias of the Order.
2025 Christmas Auction, Lot 426, AUSTRIA Massimiliano III (1590-1618) Triplo Tallero 1614
The legend does not directly mention the Order, but lists Maximilian’s primary titles: “MAX: DG: AR AV: D: B: MA .PRVSS: ADMI“, expanded as Maximilianus Dei Gratia Archidux Austriae Dux Burgundiae Magisterii Prussiae Administrator.
On the reverse, Maximilian is depicted on horseback, armed and helmeted—a clear reference to the dual nature of the Teutonic Order, both monastic and military. Surrounding the figure of the knight is a spectacular heraldic composition featuring fourteen coats of arms of cities and regions under the Order’s influence: Alsace, Habsburg, Prussia, Carinthia, Lower Austria, Castile, León, Hungary, Bohemia, Austria, Ancient Burgundy, Styria, Carniola, and Gorizia, with the coat of arms of the Teutonic Order at the bottom center.
A masterpiece of early seventeenth-century engraving
The author of these extraordinary coins is Christoph Örber, a mintmaster from Hall in Tirol, who demonstrates exceptional technical skill. With meticulous realism, Örber manages to render every detail: from the heraldic coats of arms to the Archduke’s armor — also documented in contemporary paintings — down to the horse’s complex trappings.
2025 Christmas Auction, Lot 427, AUSTRIA Massimiliano III (1590-1618) Doppio Tallero 1614
These 1614 thalers are not only silver coins of great rarity, but true historical documents, capable of capturing a fragment of the complex political and symbolic reality of the Holy Roman Empire. Maximilian III, despite playing a marginal role on the European stage, left a lasting legacy through the magnificence and evocative power of his coinage.
See also: