I deliberately used a slightly bombastic headline. After all, the headline is meant to attract readers. But I will try to make my coin related story interesting today.
These will be the heroes of our story today. Maria Theresia (Maria Theresia Walburga Amalia Christiana von Habsburg) , The Roman Empress, *1717, she ruled 1740-1780. Franciscus Stephan von Lothringen, *1708, he ruled 1745-1765).
Empress Maria Theresa was not a queen. She was the king. She was the only woman in history who ruled independently in Bohemia, Hungary and the Austrian lands. Her husband was just a simple prince-husband. She secured him the title of emperor. And that title was just an empty decoration.
I write for # silvergoldctackers...
1.coin 17 kreutzer, Ungary, 1760, diameter 28 mm, weight 6,12 g, silver, purity 542/1000
2.coin, Fr.Stephan, Austria, 1758, diameter 28-30 mm, weight 7,01-7,2 g, silver, purity 833/1000
Maria Theresa met her husband at the age of six. She instantly fell in love with him. The wedding took place in 1736. They had 16 children together. (This was not a record in Czech history. Queen Anna Jagello gave birth to eighteen children in the 16th century.)
They had 16 children together. (This was not a record in Czech history. Queen Anna Jagellovna gave birth to 18 children in the 16th century.
Fr. Štěpán started a business. He founded banks, lent money, invested, established manufactories, traded. He also inherited the property of the Medici family. He lent the state for his wife's wars. (And her enemies too, But for double interest.) Finally, he paid off the national debt from his own resources and took over the financial management of his wife's lands.
The couple loved each other very much. For that he was enough to be consistently unfaithful and have many illegitimate children.
M. Teresa was a successful king. It managed the then climate crisis with the help of reforms. A revolution broke out in France. There was peace in the Austrian lands.
She increased the area of the forest by 60% during her reign. It introduced compulsory education, established the cadastre and cadastral maps.
For #silvergoldstackers. She started issuing banknotes and had small coins minted from copper.
In 1765 her husband died suddenly. M.Terezie was an excellent dancer, ballet dancer, musician, singer. She loved hunting. After the death of her husband, she put on a black dress and a widow's veil, which she never took off. She continued to devote herself only to the state.
The first coin shows M.Terzie as a widow. On the other coin her dead husband.
Even though Fr.Stephan had no real power, M. Terezia minted half of the coins with her portrait and half with her husband's.
After her husband's death, a third of the coins were minted with the image of her husband and the year 1765 when he died, and a third of the coins were minted with the image of her eldest son, Joseph II, whom she had elected emperor. Again a completely powerless emperor. She was depicted on a third of the coins. So...
1.coin 30 kreutzer, M.Theresia, Austria, 1767, diameter 33 mm, weight 14,03 g, silver, purity 833/1000
2.coin 20 kreuter, Fr.Stephan, Austria, 1765 (But we know from the mintmarks that it was minted in 1773), diameter 28 mm, weight 6,68 g, silver, purity 583/1000
And that is Josef II., *1741-+1790. Emperor from 1765. Began to rule independently in 1780. One of the greatest reformers. Alas, a very impetuous man. His motto was "Everything for the people, nothing with the people". An absolutist monarch... Personally unhappy man.
1/2 kreutzer, Joseph II, Austria, 1777, diameter 20 mm, copper, 3,3 g
I would like to ask if you liked the article. Should I write stories or information like "Did I buy this new coin?" Thank you for reading.