Austria Ducat, 1915

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History buffs and gold coin enthusiasts will appreciate this 1915 Austrian Ducat. The word "ducat" originally referred to a coin minted by a duke. It was later adopted by Austria and other European countries. These coins were not actually minted in the year 1915. Rather, they were minted between 1920 and 1936, but all are dated 1915. Restrikes of this coin were minted by the Austrian mint. A restrike is an official reissue of a specific coin. The mint produced just under 1 million of these coins in the 1920s and 30s.The gold 1 Ducat coin is a little over 0.8 mm thick and contains a little over 1/10 of an ounce of 0.987 pure gold. This coin's gold melt weight is 0.1122 troy. The Austrian 1 Ducat coins have a diameter of 20 mm. This coin is actually thinner than most modern coins. These coins can be collected by people interested in numismatic matters because they are made of fine gold. These coins are considered a form of gold bullion. Most of the value of this currency comes from the values of high-grade gold, not from its beauty.The front sides of these gold coins have an image of the head of Emperor Franz Joseph I. He was born in 1848 and died in 1916, ruling the country for 68 years. The emperor is wearing a Romanesque, laurel-leaf crown. He looks severe and has a mustache and bushy sideburns. Around the outside of the coin are the words "FRANC IOS I D G AUSTRIAE IMPERATOR." This translates to "Franz Joseph I D G Emperor of Austria." Along the edge of the coin is a series of raised dots. The Romanesque image of the emperor on these gold Ducats refers to the fact that the Habsburgs, the Emperor's royal house, once ruled the Holy Roman Empire.The reverse side of the Austria 1 gold Ducats has the coat of arms of the House of Habsburg. A double-headed eagle, also called an imperial eagle, holds the coat of arms. The coat of arms has a rampant lion on one side and symbols on the other. Between the two heads is the imperial crown. The eagle holds two pieces of the imperial regalia in its claws. One is the imperial sword, which was used during coronation ceremonies. The other is the imperial orb, which was one of the symbols of the divine right of kings to rule. Around the edge are the words, "HUNGAR BOHEM GAL LOD ILL REX A A 1915." This refers to some of the Emperor's territories and the year in which the coin was struck.The detail of the 1915 Austrian 1 gold Ducat is exquisite. The bust of the Emperor looks lifelike, and all of the images on the reverse side are well formed with beautiful detail. The intricacy of the eagle and coat of arms is astounding.