Liechtenstein ½ frank coin

½ frank
General information
Country	Liechtenstein
Value	0.50 frank
Years	1924
Measurements and composition
Mass	2.5 g
Diameter	18.2 mm
Thickness	1.28 mm
Composition	silver
Appearance
Shape	round
Alignment	medallic
Edge	reeded
Obverse	Johann II, monarch title
Reverse	Coat of arms of Liechtenstein, branches, value, year
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The ½ frank coin is a former circulation piece of the Principality of Liechtenstein. It was issued in a single type during the later reign of Prince Johann II (1840–1929; r. 1858–1929) in 1924. The piece was distributed by the National Bank of Liechtenstein and struck under contract at the Swissmint in Bern, Switzerland.

The coin initially carried a nominal value of 0.50 Liechtenstein frank, or 0.50 Swiss franc, in its country of origin. However, it was eventually demonetized and withdrawn from circulation, and is thus no longer legal tender.

Like the contemporary Swiss ½ franc coin, the piece is composed of .835 fine silver and measures 2.5 grams in mass, 18.2 millimeters in diameter, and 1.28 millimeters in thickness. It has medallic alignment and a reeded edge, and like most coins, is round in shape. Both of its rims are raised and decorated with a dentilated border.

The obverse was originally designed by French sculptor Gustave Deloye (1838–1899) for coins of the Liechtenstein krone. A left-facing bust of Prince Johann II with a full beard is illustrated in the center. It is accompanied by the German caption "JOHANN II FÜRST VON LIECHTENSTEIN", which translates to English as "Johann II, Prince of Liechtenstein". The name "JOHANN II" and word "FÜRST" in the legend are engraved clockwise along the rim to the left of the prince's likeness, while the remaining two words are inscribed in the same direction at the periphery to the right.

A simplified rendition of the coat of arms of Liechtenstein appears in the middle of the reverse. Such an illustration consists of a central escutcheon containing a two-colored inescutcheon and fields featuring symbols of Silesia, the Kuenring family, the Duchy of Troppau, the County of Rietberg, and the Duchy of Krnov. The escutcheon in the arms is surmounted by the Princely Hat of Liechtenstein, a symbol of the monarchy, and is surrounded by the chain of the Order of the Golden Fleece. On the coin, two branches flank the arms, and engraved counterclockwise along the rim below is the Gregorian date of minting, "1924", the first two digits separated from the last two by the Golden Fleece. The face value "½ FR", abbreviated for ½ Frank, superimposes the branches, the fraction engraved to the left of the arms and the letters "FR" inscribed to the right.

Around 30,000 examples of the coin, all business strikes, were manufactured during a single year of production. However, of these, around 15,745 were eventually melted down by the government of Liechtenstein.

References

• Numismatic Guaranty Corporation – Liechtenstein - 1/2 Frank, Y# 7 (1924)
• Colnect – ½ Frank (1924)
• Numista – ½ Frank (1924) (English) (French)
• Liechtenstein frank on the English Wikipedia