Austrian Netherlands 1763(a) 1/2 kronenthaler
This specimen was lot 841 in Jean Elsen sale 149 (Brussels, December 2021), where it sold for €220 (about US$298 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"BRABANT, Duché, François Ier (1745-1765), AR demi-couronne, 1763, Bruxelles. D/ Aigle impériale couronnée, entourée du collier de la Toison d'or. R/ Croix de Bourgogne entre trois couronnes, ornée du bijou de la Toison d'or. Frappe faible. Très Beau. (duchy of Brabant, Francis I, 1745-65, silver half crown of 1763, Brussels mint. Obverse: crowned imperial eagle, Order of the Golden Fleece around; reverse: Burgundian cross between three crowns, decorated with the jewels of the GOlden Fleece. Weakly struck, Very Fine.)"
Belgium, long a part of Hapsburg Spain, was awarded to Charles VI of Austria by the Treaty of Utrecht which ended the War of the Spanish Succession. Fortified by the Dutch and constantly menaced by the French, the Austrians quickly discovered Belgium to be a worthless addition to their domain. This type was struck in 1755-79 at Antwerp and Brussels during the reign of Maria Theresia (KM 19) and Francis I (KM 20). The Brussels mintmark is an angel face, visible at the upper left of the obverse. It replaced the half ducaton in 1755.
Recorded mintage: 863,000 including KM 19.
Specification: 14.72 g, 0.873 fine silver, this specimen 14,48 g.
Catalog reference: KM 20, W. 1140; Delm-386; V.H. 831.
- Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
- [1]Elsen, Philippe, et al., Vente Publique 149: Monnaies, Médailles et Décorations, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils S.A., 2021.
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