Austro Hungarian Banknote

Subject: Austro Hungarian Banknote
From: "D Smyth"
Date: 7/18/2003 9:41 AM Eastern

I have a 1000 Kronen banknote from Austria Hungary dated 1908.
what would it buy?

As Randy replied, at about 10 ounces of gold, this is about $3000 to $5000.
Remember, also, that there were no computers, SUVs, and Air Nikes, so what you
"could" buy would be affected by that. In other words, the money went farther
on the one hand but not as far on the other. At that time, the average
American worker in a factory got 10 cents an hour for a 10- or 12-hour day, so
at a dollar a day, that would be about 10 years of wages or about an average of
just under $400,000 today in terms of 2003 buying power. How good a time could
you have in New York with that?

It's a curiosity with no real collectible value.

Oh, I don't know about that... What is "real" value, anyway? I'll bet that the
note looks a lot nicer than a modern US $100 in the same condition. Vienna 1908
-- a high point in European culture. New elements being discovered routinely,
the first hints of quantum mechanics, Relativity a new theory no one
understood, the first submarines and airplanes and dirigible airships, radio a
novelty for a few savants, hints of television via selenium crystals, Europe at
peace (wow! imagine that!)... Johann Strauus Junior still alive, Richard
Strauss a newbie and Stravinsky's Firebird not yet written... I'd say that
your note has a lot of collector value.





----------------
Michael E. Marotta
ANA R-162953

"D Smyth" wrote in message ...
I have a 1000 Kronen banknote from Austria Hungary dated 1908. It's a
curiosity with no real collectible value.
However I got curious. If I were in Vienna in 1908 with this in my pocket,
what would it buy?
ds

During the hyperinflation in Austria in 1919 and 1920, they re-issued
many of the notes that had been authorized earlier. They usually
overprinted them with "Deutschosterreich" in red.

It wasn't worth very much even when it was issued.

But I find hyperinflation currency fascinating. Check out the
Hungarian issues during the 1945 - 1946 period.