5 Franken - Anton Florian 300 Year Liechtenstein

Issued to mark the tricentennial of Liechtenstein's existence as a sovereign principality, this coin commemorates the 1719 purchase of the lordships of Schellenberg and Vaduz by Prince Anton Florian — the transaction that created the territory as it stands today. Anton Florian never actually visited his new principality; he acquired it primarily for the imperial rank that came with it, as ownership of an immediate fief of the Holy Roman Empire elevated the Liechtenstein family to princely status with a seat in the Reichstag.

The principality ranked among the smallest states of the Empire, with a combined population at acquisition of only a few thousand.