Description
Unlike the Austrian 4 Ducats gold coin, the 100
Corona piece was minted as official legal tender in that country.
Austrian monetary reform in 1892 created the Corona as an official
monetary unit. The 100 Corona gold piece contains almost a full troy
ounce of gold (see specifications below).
Design
The obverse of this Austrian 100 Corona gold coin
features a bust of Austrian King and Hungarian Emperor Franz Josef I.
He is surrounded by the words: 'FRANC ' IOS ' I ' D ' G ' IMP ' AVSTR '
REX BOH ' GAL ' ILL ' ETC 'ET AP ' REX HVNG ".
The reverse features the coat of arms of Austria superimposed over a
crowned Imperial double-headed eagle. The date and the face value of
the coin are written twice ' in Latin and German. The Latin information
lies at the top of the coin: 'C CORON' for 100 Corona and 'MDCCCCXV'
for the date, although 1915 is typically written as MCMXV.
Minting Information
Corona pieces are no longer minted in
Austria, but these bullion gold pieces were once an important part of
Austrian commerce. They were minted in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10,
20, and this 100 Corona gold piece. All 100 Corona featuring a 1915
date are official restrikes from later dates, although they are no
longer minted today.
Franz Josef I
Franz Josef I (1830-1916) ruled as both
Emperor of Austria (1848-1916) and King of Hungary (1867-1916). It was
during his reign that the Austro-Hungarian Empire was created. He
became King of Hungary when he married the popular Elisabeth, also
known as Sisi, whom the Hungarian people accepted as their true
sovereign until her assassination on September 10, 1898.
Josef's wife was not the only one in a similar fashion. His brother
Maximillian who had served as Emperor of Mexico was executed in 1867
and his nephew and heir Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in
Sarajevo on June 28, 1914. It was this last act that is commonly
considered the catalyst for World War I. Josef died two years later on
November 21, 1916.
| Detailed Coin Information |
| Gross Weight: |
33.8753g |
| 1.0891 troy oz. | |
| Gold Content: |
30.4878g |
| 0.9803 troy oz. | |
| Composition: 21.6-Karats (90% gold) |
Diameter: 35mm
|
Edge: milled |
Dates: 1908*-14; 1915 (restrikes from later dates).
*
The 1908 strike featured a different design commemorating Franz Josef's
60th anniversary of reign; specifications remained the same. |
| Mint: Vienna Mint |
