Vienna, n.d.

Commemorative medal

The Austrian commemorative medals in the Collection include three medals with depictions of the two most renowned empresses of Austria, Maria Theresa (two medals) and Elisabeth (one medal).

The third medal is dedicated to the Empress Elisabeth (1854-1898), nicknamed Sisi. She married Franz Joseph I in 1854. She never cared for the traditions and the formalities of the imperial court and withdrew increasingly from her duties as empress. She was famous for her beauty, and her personal life was marked by such tragic events as the death of her young daughter, Sofie, and the suicide of her son and the heir to the throne, Prince Rudolf. She loved travelling and on a visit to Geneva in 1898 was murdered by an anarchist.

Obv.: Crowned bust of Elisabeth, facing right; surrounded by a German legend.

Legend: ELISABETH KAISERIN VON ÖSTERREICH HERZOGIN IN BAYERN, meaning ‘Elisabeth, Empress of Austria, Duchess in Bavaria’.

Rev.: Austro-Hungarian imperial coat of arms: a crowned doubled-headed eagle, with a shield on its breast with the coat of arms of Franz Joseph I.

Edge: Milled.