Austria 4 Ducat (Fakes are possible) 1867 to 1915

That double-headed eagle is a good sign you have an Austrian coin. And this one is big, bold, beautiful, and made of 0.443 troy ounces of gold. Nice! The value of gold changes every day. Be sure to look it up.

If your coin is dated 1915, that does not mean it was struck that year. Austria has been turning these out with the 1915 date since they started, even up to the present. Just about all 4 ducats you see today (as well as 1 ducat coins, without the parenthesized 4) are dated 1915, but the pattern has been in use since Franz Joseph started his reign in 1848. Pre-dating valuable coins, called restrikes, is practiced by several countries, including Austria.

On this page we address Austrian 4 ducats from 1867 to 1915. These 4 ducats measure about 40 mm in diameter; single, 1 ducat coins measure about 20 mm in diameter. Our page for Austrian 1 ducats in the same date range appears at this link. Austrian 4 and 1 ducat gold coins are complicated subjects, as there are many subtle variations. Don't invest large sums in them unless you are sure about what you are doing.

Coins dated 1915 -- All 1915-dated coins are worth their weight in gold. These days, that is not too shabby. Let's say gold is trading at $1800 US dollars per troy ounce. The base value (BV) of a 1915 4 ducat is, then, 0.443 x $1800 = $797. Look up the current price of gold (it changes every day) at kitco.com and compute BV by multiplying by 0.443.

A dealer is usually involved when buying and selling gold coins. Figure typically a 10 to 20 percent commission for the dealer services, often more for small purchases of only a few coins, less for large purchases.

But watch out. There are fraudulent 4 ducats which are very similar, but they are very thin and do not weigh as much as genuine 4 ducat coins. Genuine 4 ducat coins, with 0.443 troy ounces of gold, weigh 13.96 grams.

Since these are such popular coins, you can be sure crooks are in the act. The counterfeit piece shown with the black background contains no gold whatsoever, but it sure looks real.

The discussion above applies to 1915 restrikes. Next we address non-1915 Austrian 4 ducats.

Coins before 1915 -- Coins dated before 1915 are much more valuable than 1915 restrikes because they carry numismatic (coin collector) value in addition to basic gold value. To obtain approximate value of these coins first compute the basic gold value (BV) as discussed above (0.443 troy ounces) and then add collector value. Collector value is a function of the condition, or amount of wear, of the coin. If the coin has severe problems, like holes, scratches, cleanings, or stains, the collector value vanishes and the coin is worth BV only. Be sure to check our Terminology page to understand the many nuances of collector value.

Here are approximate collector values for Austrian gold 4 ducats before 1915. Add these to the basic gold value to obatin an approximate retail value. Dealers will buy coins at substantially less than retail. Figure at least 15 percent dealer commission when buying and selling gold coins, often more unless you are buying a lot of coins.

COINS DATED BEFORE 1872:
circulated: add $400 to basic gold value (BV)
uncirculated: add $2000

COINS DATED 1872: see below

COINS DATED 1873 TO 1877:
circulated: add $200 to basic gold value
uncirculated: add $1000

COINS DATED 1878 TO 1910:
circulated: add $100 to basic gold value
uncirculated: add $500

COINS DATED 1911 TO 1914:
circulated: add $50 to basic gold value
uncirculated: add $200

COINS DATED 1915: see discussion near the top of this page

There are minor variations in 1872-dated coins. Some are worth more than others. The variations involve the amount of hair in Franz Joseph's beard. Seek out a skilled dealer or collector if you have a coin dated 1872. It takes personal examination of the coin to figure out if you have the valuable version or the more common version.
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