Franz Anton von Harrach served as Archbishop of Salzburg from 1709 to 1727, and this 25-ducat piece was almost certainly struck in the year of his accession — a coronation or enthronement multiple of this size was a standard demonstration of princely ecclesiastical authority in the Holy Roman Empire, distributed as gifts to high-ranking secular and clerical peers. The Salzburg mint had a long tradition of producing such oversized gold multiples, backed by the archbishopric's considerable wealth drawn from Alpine salt revenues.
At 87.5 grams of .986 fine gold, pieces of this magnitude saw no circulation whatsoever.
Franz Anton von Harrach served as Archbishop of Salzburg from 1709 to 1727, and this 25-ducat piece was almost certainly struck in the year of his accession — a coronation or enthronement multiple of this size was a standard demonstration of princely ecclesiastical authority in the Holy Roman Empire, distributed as gifts to high-ranking secular and clerical peers. The Salzburg mint had a long tradition of producing such oversized gold multiples, backed by the archbishopric's considerable wealth drawn from Alpine salt revenues.
At 87.5 grams of .986 fine gold, pieces of this magnitude saw no circulation whatsoever.