(sold for $21.0)

1458, Austria, Emperor Friedrich III. Rare Early-Dated Silver Kreuzer Coin. F/VG!

Mint Year: 1458 Denomination: Kreuzer Reference: Levinson IV-5a. Mint Place: Graz (Styria, Austria) Condition: Corroded otherwise a nice F/VG with minor traces of silvery lustre in obverse! Diameter: 15mm Weight: 0.59gm Material: Silver

Obverse: Shield with coat-of-arms of the Holy Roman Empire (double-headed eagle) within inner circle. Legend: * FRI D G RO IMPERATOR  Reverse: Squared shield with arms of Styria. Legend: MONETA IN GRECZ IΩ78 (1458)

Frederick III (21 September 1415 – 19 August 1493) was Holy Roman Emperor from 1452 until his death. He was the first emperor of the House of Habsburg, and the fourth member of the House of Habsburg to be elected King of Germany after Rudolf I of Germany, Albert I in the 13th century and his predecessor Albert II of Germany. He was the penultimate emperor to be crowned by the Pope, and the last to be crowned in Rome.

Prior to his imperial coronation, he was duke of the Inner Austrian lands of Styria, Carinthia and Carniola from 1424, and also acted as regentover the Duchy of Austria (as Frederick V) from 1439. He was elected and crowned King of Germany (as Frederick IV) in 1440. He was the longest-reigning German monarch when in 1493, after ruling his domains for more than 53 years, he was succeeded by his son Maximilian I.

During his reign, Frederick concentrated on re-uniting the Habsburg "hereditary lands" of Austria and took a lesser interest in Imperial affairs. Nevertheless, by his dynastic entitlement to Hungary as well as by the Burgundianinheritance, he laid the foundations for the later Habsburg Empire. Mocked as "Arch-Sleepyhead of the Holy Roman Empire" (German: Erzschlafmütze) during his lifetime, he is today increasingly seen as an efficient ruler.