1915 Austria One Ducat Gold Restrike Bullion Coin (Best Value)

Buy a restrike 1915 98.6% gold Austrian 1 Ducat coins from The Austrian Mint at our best price.

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 Münze Österreich (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 3.45 grams.

The size and gold content of 1915 One Ducats is comparable to the Half Sovereign or the 1/10oz South African Krugerrand but not exactly: these coins are pretty unique in the world of gold bullion.

Buy An Austrian 1 Ducat Gold Coin

There's a range of reasons that Austrian 1915 Ducats make a great addition to your stack:

• VAT Free: We can offer these restrike coins without Value Added Tax, an exemption that just applies to gold, not silver, platinum or palladium
• High Purity: Ducats have an unusually high purity among historic investment coins with a fineness of 98.6%
• Historic Appeal: The fascinating story of these Austrian coins takes us back to World War One and an important year in global history
• Beautiful Designs: These Austrian Mint coins feature engravings created in the late 19th century, a high-point for numismatic art
• Small Size: 1 Ducats weigh in at just 3.50 grams meaning you can acquire them for an accessible price and easily divest a small portion of your collection if you need to

We offer these restrike coins in good bullion condition, meaning you're guaranteed an attractive coin that might show the typical minor bag marks and limited wear associated with investment coins. None of these factors impacts their appeal or gold weight which is checked by our expert team using XRF technology.

How To Sell An Austrian One Ducat

Are you looking to sell a 1915 1 Ducat? We buy these gold coins along with bullion coins and bars from around the world for market-leading prices. Simply fill out the form on our Sell Your Coins page to get a custom quote fast.