Persons who have earned special merits providing outstanding intellectual or material support for the University of Vienna, its organisational units or its students, or who have distinguished themselves in serving the University and academia may be granted the Decoration of Honour in Gold as a visible sign of recognition. 

The decoration consists of a bronze, fire-gilt and white enamelled Maltese cross of 50 mm diameter which is combined with a second, 33 mm fire-gilt Maltese cross to form a so-called "sun penny". At the centre is a circular gold medallion with the university seal of 1365 on the obverse side, which shows a crowned figure representing sapientia under a canopy and within a gothic trefoil, surrounded by the inscription "Alma Mater Rudolphina" in Gothic minuscule lettering. The words "Grata/Universitas/Vindobonensis" are inscribed, also in Gothic script, in three lines on the reverse side; below the letters are three roses