Salzburg – a Jewel in the

Who thinks of Salzburg today pictures "Mozartkugeln" – rum truffles with marzipan –, the international music festivals and perhaps the salt of the nearby mountain. But the small archbishopric was rich at culture and art already in former times. Additionally Salzburg had a very reliable currency, while a chaotic variety of coins reigned in the areas around it. None far and wide maintained a coinage as stable as the fine small town. And nobody minted its coins so perfectly.

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Holy Roman Empire, Archbishopric Salzburg, Leonard of Keutschach (1495-1513), Triple Ducat 1513

Denomination: 3 Ducats Mint Authority: Prince Bishop Leonard of Keutschach Mint: Salzburg Year of Issue: 1513 Weight (g): 13.13 Diameter (mm): 29.0 Material: Gold Owner:

A pious ecclesiastical prince and financial genius at the same time: The portrait on this ducat shows Leonard of Keutschach, the archbishop of Salzburg. He had himself depicted in the attitude of an Italian Renaissance prince – save for that he is shown in his chasuble.

Leonard of Keutschach's economic skills saved the beautiful and culturally rich city of Salzburg from indebtedness that his successors had caused. After having lost independence in coinage by 1500, the cunning bishop gained back the right to use Salzburg's salt deposits and metal ores in its favor. Additionally, Keutschach introduced modern coinage in Salzburg by establishing a bimetallic monetary system of gold and silver. Hence, along with the large silver coins of Salzburg, he also had gold coins struck.

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Holy Roman Empire, Archbishopric Salzburg, Michael of Kuenburg (1554-1560), Quadruple Ducat 1555

Denomination: 4 Ducats Mint Authority: Archbishop Michael of Kuenburg Mint: Salzburg Year of Issue: 1555 Weight (g): 13.9 Diameter (mm): 34.0 Material: Gold Owner:

Salt was Salzburg's greatest wealth – all the archbishops of Salzburg supplied it to nearby . When trade with the "White Gold" intensified in the 11th century, Salzburg became a prosperous and flourishing town.

This fourfold ducat is evidence of that wealth. The coin supposedly was intended rather as a prestige good than as a means of payment. It was issued in 1555, on the occasion of the accession to power of Archbishop Michael of Kuenburg. The obverse depicts the city's saint, Rupert, with a barrel of salt and a crosier, while the reverse shows the new bishop's coat of arms.

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Holy Roman Empire, Archbishopric Salzburg, Wolf Dietrich of Raitenau (1587-1612), Double Ducat, 1611

Denomination: 2 Ducats Mint Authority: Archbishop Wolf Dietrich of Raitenau Mint: Salzburg Year of Issue: 1611 Weight (g): 6.95 Diameter (mm): 27.0 Material: Gold Owner:

This double ducat was minted by Archbishop Wolf Dietrich of Raitenau, who maintained a bitter conflict against Elector Maximilian of Bavaria over years. The cause of the disagreement was salt, Salzburg's most important export product.

Most of the Salzburg salt had to be exported through Bavarian territory. Bavaria earned well from the tolls it raised on this transports, yet price increases led to constant arguments between the two neighbors. Finally the quarrel led to a proper economic war. In October 1611, Salzburg troops seized the Bavarian town of Berchtesgaden, whereupon the Bavarian advanced to Salzburg. The Archbishop took flight, but was soon captured. He was taken prisoner in the Hohensalzburg fortification, where he died some years later.

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Holy Roman Empire, Archbishopric Salzburg, Paris of Lodron (1619-1653), Taler 1623

Denomination: Taler Mint Authority: Archbishop Paris of Lodron Mint: Salzburg Year of Issue: 1623 Weight (g): 28.32 Diameter (mm): 40.0 Material: Silver Owner:

At the beginning of the Thirty Years' War, the value of good money shot up to unprecedented heights. While a Salzburg taler had cost 70 kreuzers in 1607, it increased to 10 guldens by 1622 – viz. up to more than 600 kreuzers!

In April 1623, Salzburg devalued its taler to 90 kreuzers, because money that is rated too high is bad for trade. This was still a very high rate, however. The citizens of Salzburg made huge losses when they had to exchange the old coins for the new. People also suffered greatly from the high war taxes with which neutrality had to be bought. Still, it was preferable by far to go through financial suffering rather than through the perils of war.

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Holy Roman Empire, Archbishopric Salzburg, Guidobald of Thun and Hohenstein (1654-1668), 1/2 Ducat 1659

Denomination: 1/2 Ducat Mint Authority: Archbishop Guidobald of Thun and Hohenstein Mint: Salzburg Year of Issue: 1659 Weight (g): 1.71 Diameter (mm): 17.0 Material: Gold Owner:

Salzburg's Archbishop Guidobald of Thun and Hohenstein, "the Splendid," was a typical prince of his time: A baroque ruler who loved representation and pomp. True to this spirit, he embellished Salzburg with a series of wonderful coins and historical landmarks – for instance the splendid fountain in front of the archbishop's palace, or the enlarged Via Principalis, the drive-up leading to the residence that was equally refurbished.

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Holy Roman Empire, Archbishopric Salzburg, Johann Ernst of Thun and Hohenstein (1687-1709), Landbatzen 1692

Denomination: Landbatzen Mint Authority: Archbishop Johann Ernst of Thun and Hohenstein Mint: Salzburg Year of Issue: 1692 Weight (g): 2.19 Diameter (mm): 23.0 Material: Silver Owner: Sunflower Foundation

In 1659, the Austrian Emperor Leopold I introduced two new coins to stabilize the national economy, which had been shattered by the Thirty Year's War. The issue of these denominations, pieces of 6 and 15 kreuzers, promised great profits, for they contained about 20 percent less silver than regular imperial coins. Between 1659 and 1665 alone, approximately 29 millions such 15-kreuzer-pieces were struck in Vienna. Many millions followed in 1683, when the Ottomans besieged Vienna. To prevent the fall of the city, Leopold was forced into a hugely expensive war that almost left him bankrupt.

Naturally, the masses of low-value coins did not remain in Austria, but soon flooded the neighboring countries. This, in turn, prompted many coin authorities to issue undervalued coins themselves – be it to realize quick profits, be it, like was the case in Salzburg, to prevent their own coins from draining off over the borders. Salzburg's Archbishop Johann Ernst of Thun and Hohenstein issued so-called landbatzen during those years. These coins were worth 4 kreuzers, but contained only little silver. Incidentally, the landbatzen were the first coins of Salzburg that bore a German inscription.

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Holy Roman Empire, Archbishopric Salzburg, Franz Anton of Harrach (1709-1727), 1/4 Ducat 1712

Denomination: 1/4 Ducat Mint Authority: Archbishop Franz Anton of Harrach Mint: Salzburg Year of Issue: 1712 Weight (g): 0.87 Diameter (mm): 14.0 Material: Gold Owner:

Franz Anton of Harrach was appointed as Archbishop of Salzburg in 1709. The time of his rule was relatively quiet. However, during that time the archbishopric began its decline. Franz Anton neither had the passion nor the persistence of his predecessor's in defending Salzburg's rights. He did not have any representative buildings constructed either. The days of the great baroque princes – of absolute rulers who were at the same time patrons of art and architecture – were definitely over.

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Holy Roman Empire, Archbishopric Salzburg, Sigismund III of Schrattenbach (1753 -1771), Taler 1763

Denomination: Taler Mint Authority: Archbishop Sigismund III of Schrattenbach Mint: Salzburg Year of Issue: 1763 Weight (g): 28.14 Diameter (mm): 41.0 Material: Silver Owner:

This taler shows a wonderful portrait of Salzburg's Archbishop Sigismund III of Schrattenbach. Sigismund's reign was ill fated. On the one hand the archbishop distinguished himself through an extraordinary piousness, thus arousing the suspicion of those who already leaned towards the awakening Enlightenment. On the other hand, Salzburg experienced serious financial losses at that time through an unfortunate investment of capital abroad. The archbishops had put capital on an interest-bearing account of the Viennese City Bank. However, when Austria and with it the Viennese City Bank went bankrupt in 1811, those investments dissolved into nothing.

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Holy Roman Empire, Archeduchy of Austria, Ferdinand of Austria-Este (1803-1806), Taler 1803, Salzburg

Denomination: Taler Mint Authority: Elector Ferdinand of Austria Mint: Salzburg Year of Issue: 1803 Weight (g): 27.94 Diameter (mm): 40.0 Material: Silver Owner: Sunflower Foundation

With the advance of the French troops under Bonaparte in December 1800, the last Archbishop of Salzburg fled to Vienna. Under the pressure of the political situation, he resigned in February 1803. Salzburg fell to Archduke Ferdinand of Austria as a compensation for the Duchy of Tuscany, which Ferdinand had to cede to the Duke of Parma.

Ferdinand was the last Salzburg regent to mint his own coins. In 1805 Salzburg became an electorate and as such part of Austria. Some years later it came under French rule, then it was allotted to Bavaria. Finally in 1816, Salzburg was again assigned to Austria, though it had shrunk considerably, as some districts remained Bavarian.

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