Hey guys! I recently got my auction wins in the mail, and I am super excited to share how it turned out. The Young Numismatists auction was very good. Thank you to Sam and all of the donors to give us this chance. The Young Numismatists program is amazing. That said, let's jump into the coin.�

The coin I bought was a 1 7 8 0 Maria Therisa restrike thaler. The Maria Theresa thaler has been restruck for trade purposes at Vienna, Austria, with the 1 7 8 0 date frozen in time. The thaler became the unofficial currency in some areas of Africa and Asia, and is still in use today as a 'trade silver dollar' in many Arabian bazaars.

These silver dollar-sized pieces are the most widely used trade coins in history! Thalers is the origin of the word “dollar”. The fineness is� 8 3 . 3 % silver.� These coins feature the bust of Maria Theresa, Empress of the Holy Roman Empire, on the obverse. The 1 7 8 0 silver Thaler was a major form of currency in Europe’s trade with the Levant; the eastern countries bordering the Mediterranean between Turkey and Egypt. This Maria Theresa Thaler became the most popular silver coin in the Arabian world and was the only circulating silver coin that was accepted for trade. Maria Theresa was the queen of Hungary and Bohemia. She received her Empress title in 1 7 4 5 after her husband Francis Stephen was elected Holy Roman Emperor. With her new title, Empress Maria Theresa courageously defended her lands and rights with Britain as her main foreign support during the War of the Austrian Succession. Below the bust you can find the inscription “S.F. ”, this translates to the two names of the Günzburg mint officials in 1780, who was responsible for the mintage of the original coin. The “S” is for Tobias Schöbl and the “F” is for Joseph Faby. The reverse features the imperial double-headed eagle with the arms of Austria at the center, surrounded by four quarters representing Hungary, Bohemia, Burgundy, and Burgau (Günzburg). The inscription around the perimeter reads “ARCHID. AVST. DUX. BURG. CO. TYR. 1 7 8 0” and translates to “Archduchess of Austria, Duchess of Burgundy, Countess of Tyrol, 1 7 8 0.”

Thank you for reading my blog, I hoped you enjoyed and learned a little bit about the coin. New blogs next weekend!