Catalog
See full images - free registration
Continue with Google - no registration!
or register with email
Why register? Just to keep bots out of our catalog. Your email stays private - we will never share it or send you anything uninvited. We guarantee you that!
4 Ducats - Franz II
| Issuer | Münze Österreich (Austrian Mint) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1801-1804 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | A crowned double-headed Imperial eagle displayed in high relief, with both heads turned outward and each surmounted by an imperial crown, the whole beneath a third central crown. The eagle's breast bears an elaborately quartered heraldic shield incorporating the arms of Austria, Hungary, Bohemia, Burgundy, Lorraine, and dependent territories. The denomination numeral (4) appears at the base of the eagle between its talons. The surrounding Latin legend, divided by the date 1803, reads ARCH AVST D BVRG LOTH M D HET, referencing the Emperor's titles as Archduke of Austria, Duke of Burgundy, Lorraine, and Grand Duke of Etruria. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Franz II issued these large gold multiples during the final years of the Holy Roman Empire, which he dissolved in 1806 after Napoleon's crushing victory at Austerlitz forced the abdication. The 1801–1804 window predates that humiliation, placing these coins in a period when the imperial title still carried real political weight rather than Napoleonic sufferance.
The .986 fineness is notably high even by ducal standards, a specification inherited from centuries of Rhenish gold coinage tradition. KM#1887 pieces are frequently encountered as restrike issues produced by the Austrian Mint well into the twentieth century for the collector and bullion trade — original-date strikes warrant careful scrutiny.