As the Emperor of Austria, Franz Josef I ruled from 1848 until his death in 1916. His empire came crashing down in an instant when his nephew and heir, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, was assassinated ...

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As the Emperor of Austria, Franz Josef I ruled from 1848 until his death in 1916. His empire came crashing down in an instant when his nephew and heir, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, was assassinated in 1914, touching off events that led to World War I. Struck in 1915, this large, high—denomination 100 Corona coin is from a small hoard of pristine, Brilliant Uncirculated, one—ounce 90% gold coins that our international buyer discovered in Germany.