Austria 1866-A 1/2 krone Fr-499
This specimen was lot 34373 in Heritage sale 3094 (Chicago, August 2021), where it sold for $7,200. The catalog description[1] noted, "Austria: Franz Joseph I gold 1/2 Krone 1866-A AU58 NGC, Vienna mint. A scintillating representative of this rare and elusive type, the obverse displaying only the most trivial evidence of handling while the reverse, with semi-Prooflike appearances, faces up much finer than the assigned grade would indicate." The krone was minted by Austria (Fr-496), Saxony (KM 1197), Hannover (KM 232), Prussia (Fr-2437) and Bavaria (Fr-280) but does not seem to have been a success, as survivors are few. This issue, minted only in 1866 at Vienna, is rare. The emperor's bust has heavier whiskers than the previous KM 2251. The Austrians dropped the krone after 1866.
Recorded mintage: 4,000.
Specification: 5.56 g, 0.900 fine gold, 20 mm diameter.
Catalog reference: Herinek 15, Veselý 35, KM 2252, Fr-499, J-318.
- Herinek, Gerhard, Austria Münzkatalog: Munzen ab 1745 und Banknoten ab 1759, 49. Auflage, Vienna: Christine Steyrer Verlag, 2022.
- Veselý, Roman, Mince a medaile, 19. století, František II ab Karel I, Prague: Aurea Numismatika, 2020.
- Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- Craig, William D., Germanic Coinages: Charlemagne through Wilhelm II, Mountain View, CA: 1954.
- [1]Cristiano Bierrenbach, Warren Tucker and Sam Spiegel, ANA WFOM World & Ancient Coins Platinum Night Signature Auction #3094, featuring the Cape Coral Collection, the WTR Collection and the Monaco Collection, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2021.
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