This a new Taler I just added. Its graded NGC AU58. It has one small weak struck spot on the rev., which is very common. The mintage is low at 119,000 pieces.
click on photo to make larger
The year this Taler was minted (1716) Charles had to defend his lands against Turkish invasions (1716-1718). In a campaign against the Turks the imperial commander Eugene of Savoy obtained for Hungary the Banat and N Serbia. Charles was later forced to return these lands to the Ottoman Empire (Turkey) after several defeats in the Turkish war of 173639. Near the end of his reign in the War of the Polish Succession (173335) Charles was again involved in a conflict with France and Spain. By the Treaty of Vienna (1738) he was forced to give up Sicily and Naples to Spain, but received Parma and Piacenza.
Since Charles had no male heirs, one of his chief concerns was to secure the succession to the Hapsburg lands for his daughter, Maria Theresa. His last years were spent in an effort to win European approval of the pragmatic sanction of 1713, which made Maria Theresa his heir. Although the Pragmatic Sanction was guaranteed by the Treaty of Vienna, the succession was contested on his death, which started the War of the Austrian Succession.
Charles VI Tomb (click on photo)
