6 Kreuzers - Maria Theresia Graz

The 6 Kreuzer denomination was a workhorse of mid-18th century Habsburg commerce, and the Graz mint — operating under Styrian jurisdiction — was one of several provincial facilities pressed into service during the 1740s to meet demand generated by the War of Austrian Succession. Maria Theresia had inherited a treasury strained nearly to collapse when her father Charles VI died in 1740, and the coinage reform efforts of her early reign meant that minor silver denominations like this were being produced simultaneously across multiple mints, each with its own die-cutting standards.

Graz pieces from this period are distinguishable by their mintmark and frequently show softer relief on the cheek than Vienna strikes of the same type — a consequence of the provincial die engravers rather than any flaw in the planchet preparation.