Gold Coin
The Hungarian Crown of St Stephen

A relict of mystical proportions due to the legitimacy bestowed on those crowned with it, the Crown of St Stephen takes its name from the first Christian king of Hungary. The ‘Latin Crown’, as it is also known, is the superb third coin in our Crowns of the House of Habsburg series.

Splendidly depicted on the coin’s obverse, the crown’s peculiar bent cross has been the source of much speculation over the centuries. But while this has fuelled the mythology surrounding the crown, its most probable explanation is a prosaic one, the cross being bent by the heavy lid of the case in which the crown was kept. The coin’s reverse shows the Habsburg Empress Maria Theresa on horseback following her coronation as ‘King’ of Hungary in 1741 in Pressburg, present day Bratislava. Required to ride up the Royal Hill in full coronation regalia, the King then had to swing a sword while pledging to defend the borders of the Kingdom of St Stephen, with the castle that still dominates Bratislava to this day for a backdrop.

Struck in 986 fine gold, exclusively in Proof quality with a maximum mintage of 30,000 pieces, each coin comes in an attractive box with a numbered certificate of authenticity as well as a replica lapel pin. A prestigious collection case for the whole series of five coins may be purchased separately.