Matthias II Habsburg was the third son of emperor Maximilian II and his cousin Maria, younger brother of Rudolf II. After the death of second-born brother Ernest in 1595 he gradually seized power in all central European possessions of the Habsburg House at the expense of his brother Rudolf II. Three-emperors’ thaler was probably supposed to express the legitimity of his position. Matthias II is depicted on the obverse side, while the reverse side features busts of three of his ancestors – his great-grandfather and founder of the extensive power of the Habsburg family emperor Maximilian I (1486–1516), his paternal great-uncle and founder of the Spanish side of the family emperor Karel V (1516–1556) and his grandfather and forefather of the Austrian line of the family emperor Ferdinand I (1556–1564).