Salzburg Andreas Jakob von Dietrichstein, 1747-1753. Presentation piece of the weight of 100 Ducats 1747, commemorating the election of Andreas Jakob, by Franz Matzenkopf, Salzburg. Draped bust right / Coat of arms under the archbishop's hat. Date in exergue. Edge stamped "20 A". 350,17g. B. - R. 4106 (this specimen) = Zeller 1 (this specimen) = Zöttl 2827 (this specimen). NGC MS61. (8706599-004). A splendid specimen. Unique. Provenance: Leu 60 (24-25 October 1994), 981. Leu 92 (26 October 2004), 503. Kunker 202 (2 February 2012), 1153. This is the largest gold coin ever issued in Salzburg and one of the largest gold coins ever struck in Europe. Indeed, this impressive coin weighs 350,17 g, corresponding to 100 Ducats, as contemporary Ducats of Salzburg weighed 3,5 g each. This is a remarkable testament to the prosperity of Salzburg in the 18th century. This prestigious presentation piece was produced for the archbishop himself, who offered it to his relatives. Born in 1689, Andreas Jakob von Dietrichstein became Archbishop of Salzburg on 10 September 1747, as indicated on the reverse. Highly popular, he lived in considerable luxury and was an enthusiastic patron of balls and theatre, far removed from the austere lifestyle traditionally associated with a prelate. His personal motto appears on the reverse: AMORE ET IUSTITIA, the two principles by which he wished to govern. The dies for this impressive coin were engraved by the talented Franz Matzenkopf, who worked in Salzburg from 1738 until his death in 1776. It is undoubtedly the masterpiece of his career and the largest gold coin he ever produced. In 1806, Emperor Francis I of Austria, seeking new sources of revenue to finance the costly wars against Napoleon, ordered the registration and taxation of all privately owned gold and silver objects. Gold items were taxed at 20 kreuzers per ducat of weight. The mark “20 A” on the edge of the present coin attests that the tax was duly paid. To retain this presentation piece, its owner had to pay 2,000 kreuzers, equivalent to nearly 17 silver Talers. To avoid this tax, other pieces were presumably melted down by their owners, which would explain the extreme rarity of this extraordinary coin.