Well Defined Maria Theresa Thaler Cross Pendant-Ethiopia-.967 Silver (Assayed)

Description

Offered .......
a vintage 1780 Maria Theresa silver Thaler coin made into a Coptic cross.
I had the piece professionally assayed & it is 96.7% pure silver.
The Maria Theresa thaler or taler coin was the predominant coinage used in financial transactions throughout Northern Africa because it was trusted as an accurate measure of value.  It is also thought that the word "dollar" has its origins in the word taler.   It was first minted in 1741 to honor the Austrian Empress who ruled 1740-1780.
All of the coins since her death are dated 1780.
Some of these coins were made into Coptic crosses like this one.  In other cases, the crosses were produced in the lost wax method using the coin as a model, and often, melted thalers as the metal.  I'm not sure, but I suspect this cross to be of the latter variety since the silver content is much higher than the original coins. Most seem to have been made between the late 19th century and the mid 20th century.
This piece has very nice definition on the bust of Maria Theresa & on the eagle on the reverse, which makes it a more attractive piece of jewelry.  Some of the edge lettering original to the thaler coins is also visible.  There is a brass bale on top.  The piece measures about 2 3/8 inches tall by 1 1/2 inches wide and it weighs about 23 grams.
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