Austria 1875 florin
This specimen was lot 34370 in Heritage sale 3094 (Chicago, August 2021), where it sold for $1,800. The catalog description[1] noted, "Austria: Franz Joseph I Florin 1875 MS64 Deep Prooflike NGC. Needle-sharp and ultra-reflective, with a wonderful array of iridescent pastel tones laid over flashy surfaces that are virtually gem in appearance." The florin, about the size of a half dollar, was introduced in Austria in 1857 in a feeble attempt to decimalize the currency. It was accompanied by a quarter florin and a double florin and the half thaler was dropped. The mélange of billon small change was reorganized into twenty, ten, five, one and 5/10 kreuzer. This system obtained, tho the thaler and ducat continued, until another reform introduced the corona in 1892. This type was struck 1872-92 without mintmark; this is a common date.
Recorded mintage: 5,083,000 including 1875/3.
Specification: 12.34 g, 0.900 fine silver, 29.2 mm diameter.
Catalog reference: Herinek 31, Veselý 67, KM 2222.
- Herinek, Gerhard, Austria Münzkatalog: Munzen ab 1745 und Banknoten ab 1759, 49. Auflage, Vienna: Christine Steyrer Verlag, 2022.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- Veselý, Roman, Mince a medaile, 19. století, František II ab Karel I, Prague: Aurea Numismatika, 2020.
- [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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