Austria Ducat 1867 to 1915

Gorgeous coins, these old Austrian gold ducats. Dates run from 1852 to 1915. They all contain 0.1106 troy ounces of gold.

On this page we address Austrian 1 ducat coins dated between 1867 to 1915. These 1 ducat coins measure about 20 mm in diameter; 4 ducat coins measure about 40 mm in diameter. Our page for Austrian 4 ducats appears at this link.

It turns out that Austrian 1 and 4 ducat gold coins are complicated subjects, as there are many subtle variations. Do not invest large sums in them unless you are sure about what you are doing.

There are two broad categories of these coins: (1) those dated 1915, and (2) those dated before 1915.

Coins dated 1915 -- These coins are restrikes, which means they bear a 1915 date but were actually struck later than that. They are bought and sold as bullion coins, i.e., for their gold content, not as numismatic (coin collector) items. Bullion coins hold value in their precious metal content (gold or silver). Collector coins hold value in their artwork, origin, condition, eye appeal, and rarity. Don't mix the two. They are separate entities. Ducats dated 1915 are bullion coins.

The value of the gold content is computed by finding the current spot price of gold at web sites like kitco.com. The spot price changes every day. For purposes here, assume gold is trading at $1800 US dollars per troy ounce. A 1915 gold ducat bullion coin is then worth 0.1106 x $1800 = $200 due to its gold content. This is sometimes called Base Value (BV) or Bullion Value (BV). Collectors usually pay a little more than BV to buy a coin from a dealer. Dealers usually pay a little less than BV to buy a coin from a collector.

Coins dated before 1915 -- For coins dated before 1915, two factors contribute to value: (1) gold content, and (2) rarity relative to demand from coin collectors.

The gold content is evaluated the same as the 1915 coins explained above. For the rarity factor, add (approximately) these values to the BV:

Circulated coins: add $10 US dollars to BV
Fully uncirculated coins: add $150 to BV

The additional values apply to coins dated between 1867 and 1914. Coins dated 1915 are worth BV.
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