The Maria Theresa Dollar 1780 To Date
The Maria Theresa Dollar is probably one of the most famous
and well known coins of the world.
Originally struck in Austria from 1740 to 1780, the
was the currency of the Austrian Empire. It was very important for trade with
the Levant (parts of Turkey, Lebanon, Syria). Over time, the Maria Theresa became the best known and most popular silver coin in the Arabian world.
After the death of Empress Maria Theresa in 1780, Joseph II permitted the
Austrian mint to continue striking the coin with the 1780 dies in order to meet
demand from the Middle East. The 1780 coin was the only silver coin that the
Arabs trusted and would accept. Since then, the Maria Theresa Thaler has been re-struck for trade purposes at Vienna, Austria with the 1780 date frozen in
time. The coin became the unofficial currency in some areas of Africa and
Asia, and may still be in use today as a "trade silver dollar" in
some Arabian bazaars.
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