The Minting Process during Emperor Maximilian I’s Reign
Reading Time: 0:35 min

This woodcut illustration depicts a minting scene from the historical manuscript Der Weisskunig, commissioned by Emperor Maximilian I. 

The original artwork was created by Leonhard Beck between 1514 and 1516 CE, but this version is a reproduction from a 1775 printing in Vienna.

This illustration depicts the “white king” standing at the back, overseeing the entire minting process while holding a set of scales for quality control. In the centre, one man hammers a sheet of metal to the correct thickness. To the left, another man cuts the sheet into round pieces. To the right, a third man strikes the prepared metal pieces. A young boy assists by quickly removing and replacing each coin.