(sold for $18.0)

Mint Place: Vienna Reference: Hafner 61a, KM-23. Denomination:  Thaler (Trade Dollar) Mint Period: dated 1780 (struck during 1960s-1986?) Condition: Mint contact-marks, otherwise a nice lustre UNCirculated coin! Weight: 27.97gm Diameter: 41mm Material: Silver

Obverse: Bust of Maria Theresa right, mintmaster initials below. Legend: M . THERESIA . D . G . R . IMP . HU BO . REG . Reverse: Crown above double-headed imperial eagle, large multiple coat-of-arms with three crowns and lion. Outer Legend: ARCHID . AVST . DUX . BURG . CO . TYR . 1780 . X

An unofficial trade dollar, the final date of the Maria Theresa Thaler has been restruck intermittently since 1781 to modern times at many world mints. It has been used in many areas that lacked a firm local coinage, particularly in north and east Africa and the Near East. About 800 million were struck to date.

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Maria Theresa (German: Maria Theresia, see also other languages; May 13, 1717 – November 29, 1780) was a reigning Archduchess of Austria, a Queen of Hungary and Bohemia, and a Holy Roman Empress.

Maria Theresa was the oldest daughter of Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel and Emperor Charles VI, who promulgated the Pragmatic Sanction to allow her to succeed to the Habsburg monarchy. Opposition to her acceding to the throne led to the War of the Austrian Succession in 1740. After Emperor Charles VII, who claimed the throne, died in 1745, Maria Theresa obtained the imperial crown for her husband, Francis I. Though she was technically empress consort, Maria Theresa was the de facto ruler of the nation, and she began styling herself Holy Roman Empress in 1745. Maria Theresa had in fact already begun her rule in 1740 during the Austrian War of Succession.

Maria Theresa helped initiate financial and educational reforms, promoted commerce and the development of agriculture, and reorganized the army, all of which strengthened Austria's resources. Continued conflict with the Kingdom of Prussia led to the Seven Years' War and later to the War of the Bavarian Succession. She became dowager empress after the death of Francis and ascession of her son Joseph as emperor in 1765. Maria Theresa criticized many of Joseph's actions but agreed to the First Partition of Poland (1772). A key figure in the power politics of 18th century Europe, Maria Theresa brought unity to the Habsburg Monarchy and was considered one of its most capable rulers. Her 16 children also included Marie Antoinette, queen consort of France, and Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor.