Obverse
Reverse
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Categories
| Animal> Feline |
| Symbols> Coat of Arms |
Mints
| Name | Mark |
|---|---|
| Salzburg | — |
Mintings
| Year | Mint Mark | Mintage | Quality | Collection |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1802 | — | — |
Historical background
In 1802, the Prince-Archbishopric of Salzburg was in a state of profound political and monetary uncertainty, caught in the crosscurrents of the Napoleonic Wars. Its sovereign, Archbishop Hieronymus von Colloredo, had been forced to flee in 1800 following the French occupation, and the territory was under the provisional administration of the Habsburg Emperor Francis II. This political limbo directly impacted the currency system, which was a complex patchwork. Salzburg minted its own coins (the Salzburg Gulden, divided into 60 Kreuzer), but these circulated alongside a multitude of foreign currencies from neighboring states, particularly Bavarian and Austrian issues, leading to confusion and instability in everyday commerce.
The financial situation was severely strained by war. The costs of occupation, requisitions, and the need to support displaced rulers and refugees had drained the treasury. Furthermore, the traditional economic lifelines of the prince-archbishopric, such as salt mining and transit trade, were disrupted by the wider European conflict. This fiscal pressure made it difficult for the administration to maintain the integrity of its coinage, raising concerns about potential devaluation. The monetary landscape was essentially in a holding pattern, awaiting a political resolution that would determine Salzburg's future—and with it, the fate of its currency.
This resolution came swiftly. In the diplomatic reshuffling of 1802/1803, Salzburg's secular rule was formally abolished by the Reichsdeputationshauptschluss (the Final Recess of the Imperial Deputation). The territory was first awarded to Archduke Ferdinand of Tuscany in 1803 as the new Electorate of Salzburg, ending its centuries-old ecclesiastical rule. Consequently, the year 1802 represents the final, waning months of the Bishopric's autonomous currency system. Within a few years, Salzburg would be fully absorbed into the Austrian monetary sphere (after a brief Bavarian interlude), with its distinct coinage phased out in favor of the standardized Austrian Gulden.
The financial situation was severely strained by war. The costs of occupation, requisitions, and the need to support displaced rulers and refugees had drained the treasury. Furthermore, the traditional economic lifelines of the prince-archbishopric, such as salt mining and transit trade, were disrupted by the wider European conflict. This fiscal pressure made it difficult for the administration to maintain the integrity of its coinage, raising concerns about potential devaluation. The monetary landscape was essentially in a holding pattern, awaiting a political resolution that would determine Salzburg's future—and with it, the fate of its currency.
This resolution came swiftly. In the diplomatic reshuffling of 1802/1803, Salzburg's secular rule was formally abolished by the Reichsdeputationshauptschluss (the Final Recess of the Imperial Deputation). The territory was first awarded to Archduke Ferdinand of Tuscany in 1803 as the new Electorate of Salzburg, ending its centuries-old ecclesiastical rule. Consequently, the year 1802 represents the final, waning months of the Bishopric's autonomous currency system. Within a few years, Salzburg would be fully absorbed into the Austrian monetary sphere (after a brief Bavarian interlude), with its distinct coinage phased out in favor of the standardized Austrian Gulden.
✨ Legendary