1 Escalin - Maria Theresia

The Austrian Netherlands escalin was struck as part of Maria Theresia's broader currency reform effort following the War of the Austrian Succession, which had left the southern provinces economically disrupted and short of reliable small silver. The .535 fineness reflects a deliberate compromise — fine enough to circulate credibly, debased enough to stretch the silver supply.

Production ran only two years before the denomination was superseded by subsequent reform coinage, making the issue short-lived by any measure.