ObverseImage: Wikimedia Commons · Facquis · CC BY-SA 4.0
Lombardy-Venetia Lira
Austria
1850–1866
Reference data compiled from public catalogs
Estimated Melt Value
$28.98
Based on Silver spot price ($81.70/oz) · 90.0% purity · 12.26g
Updated 5:56 PM
Collector premium not included
Specifications
| Country | Austria |
| Years Minted | 1850–1866 |
| Composition | 0.900 silver |
| Weight | 12.26 g |
| Diameter | 29 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Reeded |
Design
Obverse
Features the bust of Emperor Franz Joseph I facing right.
Reverse
Depicts a crowned imperial eagle with a shield on its breast and the denomination below.
History & Notable Facts
The Lombardy-Venetia lira was struck using silver sourced from the Tyrol mines, a practical choice that highlighted Austria's control over resource flows in its Italian territories.
That makes for a sturdy coin, weighing around 12 grams for the one-lira piece, with a diameter of about 29 millimeters. The obverse typically featured the bust of Emperor Franz Joseph, his youthful profile etched with the precision of a Milanese engraver's tool. Variations exist, but exact die differences remain murky; records from the Vienna mint were spotty even then.
On the reverse, the double-headed eagle spread its wings, a Habsburg emblem that must have irked Italian nationalists. No wonder it circulated briefly before unification swept it away. As for collectibility, some years fetch a premium, though I've seen fakes that fooled even sharp-eyed dealers.
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