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1 Ducat - Ferdinand II Vienna
| Issuer | Austrian Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 1620-1634 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Reference(s) | KM#274, Fr#172 |
| Obverse description | Full-length effigy of Emperor Ferdinand II standing facing right in elaborate armour, holding an imperial sceptre in his right hand and a globus cruciger in his left, with a small mintmark device at his feet. The figure is crowned and rendered in fine relief against a flat field. A circular Latin legend runs within a beaded border around the periphery. |
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| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | FERDINAND II D G R I S A G H B REX |
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| Additional information |
Ferdinand II's ducats from this period were struck against the backdrop of the Thirty Years' War, which began in 1618 and drained the Habsburg treasury at a ruinous pace. Vienna's mint was under constant pressure to produce reliable gold coinage for war financing, mercenary payments, and the diplomatic subsidies Ferdinand depended on to hold his coalition together. The .986 fine standard — essentially pure gold by contemporary practice — was itself a political instrument, projecting fiscal credibility at a moment when the emperor's military position was frequently precarious.
The White Mountain victory of 1620 brought Ferdinand temporary dominance over Bohemia, and mint output reflected the resulting influx of confiscated Protestant noble wealth.