Austria 1908 20 corona
The first specimen was lot 1851 in Sincona sale 38 (Zürich, May 2017), where it sold for 650 CHF (about US$780 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"Franz Joseph I. 1848-1916 20 Kronen 1908. Wien 60jähriges Regierungsjubiläum. Vorzüglich. (empire of Austria, Francis Joseph, 1848-1916, twenty corona of 1908, on the sixtieth anniversary of his reign. Extremely fine.)"
The second specimen was lot 6018 in Künker sale 386 (Osnabrück, March 2023), where it sold for €1,600 (about US$2,068 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[2] noted,
"KAISERREICH ÖSTERREICH, Franz Josef I. 1848-1916. 20 Kronen 1908, Wien, auf sein 60jähriges Regierungsjubiläum. 6,10 g Feingold. GOLD. Vorzüglich. Exemplar der Auktion Fritz Rudolf Künker 191, Osnabrück 2011, Nr. 5606. (empire of Austria, Francis Joseph, 1848-1916, twenty coronas of 1908, Vienna mint, on the 60th anniversary of his reign. Extremely fine.)"
This gold coin, among the last issued before Austria's suicidal plunge into World War One, commemorated the sixtieth anniversary of the reign of Francis Joseph, emperor of Austria 1848-1916. The Austro-Hungarian empire did not long survive him. Regular twenty coronas were emitted 1909-15, with the 1915 being restruck in large numbers in recent times.
Recorded mintage: 188,340.
Specification: 6.78 g, 0.900 fine gold, 21 mm diameter, the first specimen 6.75 g.
Catalog reference: Herinek 25, Veselý 119, J. 399; Schl. 647. Fr-515; KM 2811.
- 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, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Jürg Richter, Auction 38, Gold Coins and Medals, Zürich: Sincona AG, 2017.
- [2]Künker, Fritz Rudolf, Horst-Rudiger Künker, Ulrich Künker and Andreas Kaiser, Katalog 386: Brakteaten | Mainz | Bibliothek Prof. Dr. Niklot Klüßendorf | Mittelalter und Neuzeit | Goldprägungen | Deutsche Münzen ab 1871, Osnabrück: Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co., AG, 2023.
Link to:
- 1895 ducat
- 1905 20 corona
- 1907 corona
- 1908 corona, on the 60th anniversary of Franz Josef's reign
- 1908 5 corona, on the 60th anniversary of Franz Josef's reign
- 1908 ducat
- 1908 10 corona, on the 60th anniversary of Franz Josef's reign
- 1908 100 corona, on the 60th anniversary of Franz Josef's reign
- 1909 20 corona, interrupted legend
- 1909 20 corona, continuous legend
- 1909 4 ducats
- Coins and currency dated 1908
- return to coins of Austria