2016-10-12 Wed

A 1779 silver 6-lira scudo coin of Milan issued for Maria Theresa features an older empress with a fuller veil and less defined hair curls unlike the famous talers bearing her name. Maria Theresa was the only female ruler of the Habsburg dominions and the last of the House of Habsburg. The silver trade taler with her image is very popular among coin collectors. They were circulated in Europe and Africa and her image continues to be struck even centuries after her 1780 death.

This coin featuring the woman who served as the Holy Roman Empress would be one of its kind and will be offered at an auction on 24th October in Veldhoven, Netherlands. It features the Archduchess of Austria on the obverse and the coat of arms, crown and royal legends on the reverse. The coin issued for Milan as part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire was the largest denomination silver coin of Italy in those days.