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2 Vereinsthaler - Francis Joseph I South Austrian Railways
| Issuer | Austrian Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 1857 |
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| Composition | Silver (.900) |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Central composition dominated by a tall, rusticated stone lighthouse rising from a wave-washed base, flanked to the left by a detailed steam locomotive and to the right by a paddle-wheel steamship under sail. Two signal flags are crossed at the top of the lighthouse tower. Flanking the base of the lighthouse are two ornate baroque cartouches enclosing heraldic shields. A small imperial double-headed eagle appears above at the top of the inner field. The circular legend around the periphery reads 'VOLLENDUNG DER OESTERREICHISCHEN SÜDBAHN 1857 2·VEREINSTHALER', all within a beaded border. |
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| Reverse lettering | VOLLENDUNG DER OESTERREICHISCHEN SÜDBAHN 1857 2·VEREINSTHALER |
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| Additional information |
The South Austrian Railway Company — the Südbahn — was granted concession rights in 1858, but this medal-coin was struck a year earlier as part of the broader push to finance rail expansion through the Alps toward Trieste, a project of enormous strategic and commercial importance to Vienna. Issued under the Vereinsthaler monetary standard adopted by the Dresden Convention of 1838, the piece circulated as legitimate coinage while simultaneously functioning as a promotional instrument for the railway's bond offerings.
The Herinek and Krause-Mishler cross-references reflect its ambiguous classification — part trade coin, part commemorative — which explains the dual cataloging under both standard and exonumia references.