elverno Posted September 15, 2009 Report Share Posted September 15, 2009 1805 20 Kreuzer, Electorate of Salzburg. 27.75mm - Details - scarce At first glance this looks like Frances I (II) of Austria and in fact Salzburg became part of Austria about this time. But this coin features his younger brother Ferdinand who had lost his possessions in Tuscany (though he would later get them back). About 1805 Napoleon was trading territory around like collector's cards and while certain folks (like Ferdinand) lost their kingdoms it was politically safer to make sure they got something in return. For Ferdinand this meant a cobbled together Electorate of Salzburg that included bits and pieces from several other countries. To be fair, many countries in Austria and Germany were about the size of a large city block and by the time the Napoleonic Wars had ended hundreds of these little spots had disappeared forever, many marked only by the money they left behind. The Electorate lasted from 1803 to 1806 though the Austrians had effectively annexed it by the end of 1805. God I love this stuff! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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