Austria 1872 8 florins
This specimen was lot 30390 in Heritage sale 3064 (Chicago, April 2018), where it sold for $2,160. The catalog description[1] noted, "Franz Joseph I gold 8 Florins-20 Francs 1872 AU58 NGC, Vienna mint. A key date, the 1872 boasts the lowest mintage in the series, with a total output of just 5,185 specimens. Though this example has seen the slightest degree of gentle wear, it nevertheless retains an incredible degree of luster and only lightly scattered contact marks. A real rarity and worthy of an elite bid." In an attempt to stabilize her currency, Austria minted gold kronen (a Prussian denomination) 1858-65 and then this eight florins 1870-92, which matched the French twenty francs. However, the ducat remained the most produced gold coin until the collapse of the regime in World War One.
Recorded mintage: 5,185.
Specification: 6.45 g, 0.900 fine gold, 21 mm diameter.
Catalog reference: Herinek 19, Veselý 55, Fr-502, KM 2269.
- 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.
- [1]Cristiano Bierrenbach and Warren Tucker, Heritage World Coin Auction 3064, featuring the Doug Robins Collection of Canadian Tokens, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2018.
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