Austria 1885 4 florins
This specimen was lot 1658 in Sincona sale 90 (Zürich, May 2024), where it sold for 450 CHF (about US$604 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"RDR / ÖSTERREICH, Franz Joseph I. 1848-1916. 4 Florin-10 Francs 1885, Wien. Vorzüglich. (empire of Austria-Hungary, Francis Joseph I, 1848-1916, four florins or ten francs of 1885, Vienna mint. Extremely fine.)"
In an attempt to stabilize her currency, Austria minted gold kronen (a Prussian denomination) 1858-65 and then this four florins 1870-72, 1877-78, 1881-92, which matched the French ten francs. Hungary, granted the right to mint her own coinage after 1867, also issued this denomination (Fr-247). However, the ducat remained the most produced gold coin in Austria until the collapse of the regime in World War One.
Recorded mintage: 38,000, the most common date.
Specification: 3.22 g, 0.900 fine gold; 19 mm diameter, this specimen 3.23 g.
Catalog reference: KM 2260, Herinek 286, Fr-503.
- 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.
- 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]Richter, Jürg, SINCONA Auction 90, Münzen und Medaillen der Welt, Zürich: SINCONA AG, 2024.
Link to: