Tis was the year 1509. Maximilian I (1459–1519) was coronated as the Holy Roman Emperor in 1508 and the greatness of the new Emperor needed to be projected in order to solidify his hold on a rebellious nobility of this period. This coin, which is owned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, was used as one of the many tools to reach those ends in a non-violent manner, helping to heat up the propaganda wars of that time. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/26.261.14 One of the interesting thing about this piece is that it was minted in Belgium, far from the center of the Holy Roman Empire, but demonstrating the importance of propaganda in the 16th Century.
One might notice that the horse dipicted on that coin does not have narrow legs, which is a major problem with today's race horses.
