5 Guldiner - Maximilian I

Similar to the double Guldiner shown by Schulten #4454 or the 17 Ducats gold in MT#82.

The horse is wearing a richly decorated horse armor. The large St. Andrew's cross with four fire irons and flints is prominently depicted. It is both the emblem of the Duchy of Burgundy and the symbol of the Order of the Fleece. Maximilian used the Burgundian symbol very frequently. The motto of the Order of Temperance is also engraved on it ‘Keep moderation in all things’ (“HALT MAS IN ALEN DING”). Maximilian belonged to this order of knighthood, as did his father.

The reverse shows a complex combination of coats of arms. The choice and arrangement of the coats of arms were carefully considered. They emphasized the importance of his house and proclaimed political claims. It could hardly have escaped the notice of his contemporaries that Maximilian did not rule all of the countries listed there.

The outer circle with 19 coats of arms is divided into two parts:
The left half lists the coats of arms of the Habsburg hereditary lands.

The right-hand half refers to the Burgundian heritage. These territories fell to the Habsburgs after the death of the father of Maximilian's wife, Mary of Burgundy in 1477.

The Antwerp mint did not mint this show coin until 1517, when Maximilian was in the Netherlands and needed representative gift coins. He therefore had old dies from Hall in Tyrol sent to him.
To prevent confusion, the Hall mint marked the obverse dies with a “little rose” in front of the horse. The Innsbruck government was concerned about the reputation of its mint. It feared that coins with a lower silver content could be struck in the Netherlands.