I am wondering if anyone has old gold coins for sale - sovereigns, European etc. Prefer before 1915 but sovereigns can be any age. Feel free to message me a price but I am looking for spot prices and am not worried about the condtion of the coin. If the price is right, it will be a fast and easy transaction.
Gold WTB: Old gold coins wanted
- Thread starter Craigb
- Start date
Gold
An interesting read from an established private UK business (The Britannia Coin Company) below
History Of Gold One Ducat Coins
The first gold Ducats were struck in the 1200s in the city of Venice, designed to facilitate trade. Their name comes from the Medieval Latin 'ducalis' which releases to a duke or dukedom. The Venetians coins were imitated and disseminated widely with coins modelled on the Venetian specification adopted by the Holy Roman Empire in the early 16th century. These Ducats continued to be minted in Hungary under the House of Habsburg, including when the Kingdom was consolidated into the Dual Monarchy in the 19th century.
The final regular issue of gold 1 Ducats was made in Vienna in 1914, production ceasing with the outbreak of World War One. Coins dated 1915 are restrike issues, produced later in significant quantities by the M?nze ?sterreich (Austrian Mint) for the global investment market. Their long history makes these restrike 1915 Ducats one of the oldest gold bullion coins in the world. They are similar to another Austrian bullion coin, Maria Theresa silver Thalers, continuously struck for centuries with a 1780 date.
Portrait Of Emperor Franz Joseph I
You'll find a right-facing portrait bust of Emperor Franz Joseph I on the obverse of these gold 1 Ducat coins.
A member of the Hapsburg Dynasty, Franz Joseph was Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary from 1848 until his death in 1916 making him one of the longest-serving monarchs in history. During his reign, the Austro-Hungarian Empire became a great power in Central Europe, ruled from Vienna. Franz Joseph's heir was Archduke Franz Ferdinand whose assassination in 1914 triggered the First World War. Frans Josephs's own death preceded the collapse of the Empire following its defeat in 1918.
This portrait of the Emperor by Austrian medallist and sculptor Josef Tautenhayn (1837-1911) was first struck in 1872. It shows Franz Joseph wearing a crown of laurels and sporting his trademark mutton chop moustache. The legend around reads: 'FRANC ? IOS ? I ? D ? G ? AUSTRIAE ? IMPERATOR'.
Austrian Coat Of Arms Reverse
The reverse of these 1915 gold coins features the Imperial coat of arms of the Austrian Empire. This composition incorporates the black double-headed eagle - the Reichsadler - derived from the arms of the Holy Roman Emperors. The bird is shown with its wings spread, holding sword and a sceptre in one claw and an orb in the other. Above the twin heads is the Imperial Crown of Austria with trailing ribbons. On the eagle's chest is a shield bearing the marshalled arms of Habsburg, Babenberg and Lorraine, encircled by the a chain bearing the Order of the Golden Fleece, a Catholic order of chivalry, founded in 1430.
This design is also attributed to Josef Tautenhayn and is surrounded by a legend that reads: 'HVNGAR ? BOHEM ? GAL ? LOD ? ILL ? REX ? A ? A ? 1915'.
Gold One Ducat Coin Composition
Austrian Ducats have a high gold content compared to other historic bullion coins. They're composed of 98.6% pure gold: that's 23.75 carats. By comparison, French 10 Franc coins are struck in 90% (21.6-carat) gold while UK gold Sovereigns only boast a 22-carat (91.67%) fineness. 1915 Ducats were always intended as investment coins. As they were not produced for circulation there was no need to choose a stronger alloy to stand up to wear and tear.
Each of these gold restrike coins has a total mass of 3.50 grams and a diameter of 20.00 millimetres. You'll find that these coins are fairly thin, their milled edge measuring just .70 millimetres.
Austrian 1 Ducats have an actual gold weight of 0.1106 troy ounces or 3.44 grams.
History Of Gold One Ducat Coins
The first gold Ducats were struck in the 1200s in the city of Venice, designed to facilitate trade. Their name comes from the Medieval Latin 'ducalis' which releases to a duke or dukedom. The Venetians coins were imitated and disseminated widely with coins modelled on the Venetian specification adopted by the Holy Roman Empire in the early 16th century. These Ducats continued to be minted in Hungary under the House of Habsburg, including when the Kingdom was consolidated into the Dual Monarchy in the 19th century.
The final regular issue of gold 1 Ducats was made in Vienna in 1914, production ceasing with the outbreak of World War One. Coins dated 1915 are restrike issues, produced later in significant quantities by the M?nze ?sterreich (Austrian Mint) for the global investment market. Their long history makes these restrike 1915 Ducats one of the oldest gold bullion coins in the world. They are similar to another Austrian bullion coin, Maria Theresa silver Thalers, continuously struck for centuries with a 1780 date.
Portrait Of Emperor Franz Joseph I
You'll find a right-facing portrait bust of Emperor Franz Joseph I on the obverse of these gold 1 Ducat coins.
A member of the Hapsburg Dynasty, Franz Joseph was Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary from 1848 until his death in 1916 making him one of the longest-serving monarchs in history. During his reign, the Austro-Hungarian Empire became a great power in Central Europe, ruled from Vienna. Franz Joseph's heir was Archduke Franz Ferdinand whose assassination in 1914 triggered the First World War. Frans Josephs's own death preceded the collapse of the Empire following its defeat in 1918.
This portrait of the Emperor by Austrian medallist and sculptor Josef Tautenhayn (1837-1911) was first struck in 1872. It shows Franz Joseph wearing a crown of laurels and sporting his trademark mutton chop moustache. The legend around reads: 'FRANC ? IOS ? I ? D ? G ? AUSTRIAE ? IMPERATOR'.
Austrian Coat Of Arms Reverse
The reverse of these 1915 gold coins features the Imperial coat of arms of the Austrian Empire. This composition incorporates the black double-headed eagle - the Reichsadler - derived from the arms of the Holy Roman Emperors. The bird is shown with its wings spread, holding sword and a sceptre in one claw and an orb in the other. Above the twin heads is the Imperial Crown of Austria with trailing ribbons. On the eagle's chest is a shield bearing the marshalled arms of Habsburg, Babenberg and Lorraine, encircled by the a chain bearing the Order of the Golden Fleece, a Catholic order of chivalry, founded in 1430.
This design is also attributed to Josef Tautenhayn and is surrounded by a legend that reads: 'HVNGAR ? BOHEM ? GAL ? LOD ? ILL ? REX ? A ? A ? 1915'.
Gold One Ducat Coin Composition
Austrian Ducats have a high gold content compared to other historic bullion coins. They're composed of 98.6% pure gold: that's 23.75 carats. By comparison, French 10 Franc coins are struck in 90% (21.6-carat) gold while UK gold Sovereigns only boast a 22-carat (91.67%) fineness. 1915 Ducats were always intended as investment coins. As they were not produced for circulation there was no need to choose a stronger alloy to stand up to wear and tear.
Each of these gold restrike coins has a total mass of 3.50 grams and a diameter of 20.00 millimetres. You'll find that these coins are fairly thin, their milled edge measuring just .70 millimetres.
Austrian 1 Ducats have an actual gold weight of 0.1106 troy ounces or 3.44 grams.