Murbach Abbey in Alsace was founded in 727 and merged with Lüders Abbey in Upper Burgundy in the 16th century. In 1544, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V granted the abbeys the right to mint silver coins. Immediate use was made of this right, which continued to be exercised into the second half of the 17th century. The galero (a large broad-brimmed tasselled hat worn by cardinals) above the large quartered shield on the obverse with the coats of arms of Burgau, Hohenberg, Nellenburg and Feldkirch shows the status of the person who holds the coinage prerogative. The smaller, likewise quartered shield combines the coats of arms of Austria, the House of Habsburg, Lüders and Murbach. The Latin inscription states the name of the individual commissioning the coin as well as the offices he holds: ANDR(EAS) CARD(INALIS) AB AVST(RIA) MVR(BACENSIS) ET LVTR(ENSIS) ADMI(NISTRATOR) – Andreas, Cardinal of Austria, administrator of Murbach and Lüders. Owing to the extreme rarity of this coin, it is presumed to have been a special piece minted for representational purposes.
