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1 Kreuzer - Franz
| Issuer | Austrian Empire |
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| Year | 1747-1760 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 0.71 g |
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| Obverse description | Right-facing draped bust of Holy Roman Emperor Franz I (Franz of Lorraine) occupying the central field, with the legend commencing at approximately 7 o'clock and reading clockwise. The inscription abbreviates the full imperial titulature: Franciscus Dei Gratia Romanorum Imperator Semper Augustus, Germaniae Ierosolymae Rex. Several legend variants are recorded, including FRANC D G R I S A G IER REX, GE IER REX, and GER IER REX, reflecting production across multiple mints over the issue period. |
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| Reverse description | A double-headed crowned imperial eagle displayed in the central field, its wings spread and each head surmounted by an imperial crown. A heart-shaped escutcheon is placed on the eagle's breast, bearing the combined arms of Lorraine and Tuscany. The denomination numeral appears between the tail feathers, with the mint mark divided by the tail on either side. The reverse legend, commencing at 12 o'clock, reads IN TE DOMINE SPERAVI, a pious motto attesting to imperial devotion. |
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| Additional information |
Franz I ruled the Austrian Empire in title while Maria Theresa held effective power — a dynastic arrangement that colored every administrative decision of the period, coinage included. The billon kreuzer series under his name was a workhorse denomination struck across multiple Habsburg mints to keep small-denomination currency flowing through an empire perpetually strained by the War of the Austrian Succession and its expensive aftermath. Billon was the practical choice: silver content low enough to manage bullion costs, copper enough to survive rough handling.
Mint attribution within KM#2009.1 can be tricky; several facilities struck to this type with subtle die differences that remain incompletely catalogued.