5 Ducats - Maria Theresia Vienna

Maria Theresia's hold on the Habsburg throne was far from secure in 1741. Charles VI had died the previous year, and within months Bavaria, France, Prussia, and Saxony had all moved against her under the pretense that the Pragmatic Sanction — which permitted female succession — was legally void. These multi-ducat gold pieces were struck at Vienna precisely when the treasury was being drained to fund simultaneous wars on multiple fronts, making large-denomination gold issues of this period both politically charged and financially consequential.

The three-year window of this issue coincides almost exactly with the War of the Austrian Succession's opening campaigns, before the monetary situation stabilized enough for more routine production.