Gold restrike coin Franz Joseph I – Lady in the Clouds stand

This gold mini restrike of the historic 100-crown coin from the free series dedicated to Franz Joseph I commemorates the moment when this Habsburg became Emperor of Austria.

Franz Joseph I ascended the Austrian throne on 2 December 1848 as an eighteen-year-old young man. This took place in the Archbishop's Palace in Olomouc, as Vienna, which was under revolutionary rule at the time, was not safe for the Habsburg family. In 1908, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of this event, the Vienna Mint minted a 100-crown coin, which became known among collectors as the „Lady in the Clouds“. The reverse side of the gold coin, which is one of the most beautiful in the world, was decorated with a woman sitting on a cloud. Legend says that she was the Austrian theatre actress Katarina Schrattová, who was the mistress of Franz Joseph I. The monarch's wife, Elisabeth „Sisi“ of Bavaria, knew about this relationship and did not prevent it. “The combination of attractive design and low issue limit, which was only 16,026 pieces, made the coin a sought-after and highly prized collector's item,“ explains Martin Furugláš, collector and expert consultant on this issue.

The reverse side of the Czech Mint's miniature gold coin naturally depicts a lady in the clouds with her left hand resting on a shield bearing the Austrian eagle and holding a laurel wreath in her right hand. The scene illuminated by rays of sunlight is supplemented with the dates 1848–1908, the nominal value 100 COR. and the Latin inscription DVODECIM LVSTRIS GLORIOSE PERACTIS (sixty years solemnly completed). The reverse side of the coin bears a portrait of Franz Joseph I surrounded by an inscription listing the monarch's titles. The faithful new engraving, based on the original work by Rudolf Neuberger and Rudolf Ferdinand Marschall, was created by medal maker Mgr.Petr Horák.

The coin is set in a numbered replica of a historical postcard on which you will find the Austrian imperial crown surrounded by period coins, including the “Lady in the Clouds“.