Silver Coin
Courage and Determination

The only ever female ruler of the Habsburg Empire, Empress Maria Theresa is the most fascinating female figure in Austrian history. Celebrating the 300th anniversary of her birth in 1717, the four-coin Empress Maria Theresa series is minted in extra bold relief to give each Proof quality 20 euro silver coin a special antique look. Courage and Determination is the superb first coin in the series.

Brave woman, bold relief

The Empress Maria Theresa series is based on the four cardinal virtues, Courage, Justice, Clemency and Prudence, which drove the imposing Empress to steer the Habsburg Empire on a highly successful course for 40 years, while managing to give birth to 16 children. Featuring original motifs taken from medals issued during Maria Theresa’s reign (1740-1780), the series combines the four cardinal virtues with four different portraits that show the Empress as a young woman, a wife, a widow and a mother. The obverse of Courage and Determination features a portrait of the young Maria Theresa from a medal by engraver Matthäus Donner (1704-1756), while the dominant image on the reverse is of an armed Minerva. Unexpectedly coming to power at the age of 23, right from the outset, Empress Maria Theresa stood her ground against the enemies of her empire.