New-York tribune., 1907-10-30
THE HAPsRr-RG "KoH-1-NooR."

The chief object of interest, however. 20 the
women visitors is the superb so-caled Florentne
diamond, weighing 1873 carats. Lost by Duke
Charles the Bold Of Burgundy on the battlefield OF
Granson, and picked mp by a Swiss landsknecht,
IL sold by him to a Bernese merchant for the
trifiing sum Of s.. It passed through many hands
before finally being purchased by Emperor Francis,
the husband OF Maria Theresa. who used it as hat
clasp. Another huge diamond known as the
Frankfort weighing some fifty carats and Of su-
perb water, constitutes the centre of Of the
badges OF the Golden Fleece which is surrounded
by $50 other beautiuful bTiliants. There are
emerald weighing 2.9SG carats. gold basin by Ben
venUto Cellini. invariably used at baptisms of the
imperial family and the staff of Office Of the Presi
dent Of the Imperial Council. presented by Emperor
Maximilian TO his Privy Councillor and Chancellor
Frederick, Count Of Hohenzollern, on October l5,
1898.
4 large ebony casket on pillar contains the keys
of all the collins OF the~members of the imperial
family who lie entombed in the vaults Of the
Capuchin Church
Then there is the so-called Luck of the House
Of Hapsburg" namely. an immense bowl of Orr
entail agate, the largest and finest piece Of agate
in the world in the peculiar veining Of which
the name of Christ is TO be seen. Its history IS
most romantic one and It IS regarded with almost
as much reverence as the Holy Grail Its fortunes
have been for hundreds Of years inu.ssolubly
bound up with those Of the House OF HapsbuTG'
much IN the same manner that fairy goblet, the
Luck Of Eden Hall, sung by the poets INLAND and
LongfeIlow, is identified with the fortunes Of the
old Cumberland House Of MusgTaye one Of the
most extraordinary relics is a Jewelled golden
oasket dating from the time Of Charlemagne, and
containing merely quantity OF earth, which is as
serted 70 have been stained with the blood OF St.
Stephen when he was stoned outside the gates Of
Jerusalem.
Besides this. there is the crown made for and
worn by Napoleon during the greater portion of the
ceremony OF his coronation in Milan as King Of
ISonbardy, and il is remarkable that the stones
are all false. The famous iron crown he placed
on bis head merely for q moment. and then re-
placed It with the other owing to the fact that It
could not be made to t lined it is in the inte-
rior with a thin strip Of iron, said to have been
made from nail Of the true cross brought from
Palestine by Empress Helena. 1t is no longer IN
sue imperial treasury at Vienna, but is preserved
in the cathedral at MonZa, above the high altar
with il crowned no fewer than thirty-four
Lombard kings and Emperor Charles Y, prior to
Napoleon's placing it on his own head. AT the
close Of the war of 1856 the stipulations Of the
treaty Of peace imposed by Prussia upon Austria
included merely the latter's abandonment Of
Venice TO Prussias defeated ally, Italy but also the
surrender Of the sacred iron crown, as the emblem
Of Italian sovereignty. Indeed. the humiliation Of
being obliged 10 turn over this historic relic TO the
late King Victor Emmanuel may be said TO have
been felt almost as deeply by Emperor Francis
JOSEPH by the princes OF his dynasty and by his
people as their compulsory withdrawal from Ven
ice The iron crown has never been used since its
surrender for purposes OF coronation in Italy. 1t
I,, leaves us shrine above the high altar in the
cathedral Of Monza at the death Of the kings Of
italy when it is carried in state behind their bodies
al their funerals.
Let me add in conclusion that in Germany 1t is
hoped that some day, in the same way that the
Italians obtained their iron crown from Austria
the new Teutonic empire may recover from that
power the historic crown Of the old German En-
.,lre once worn by Charlemagne, and now IN the
imperial treasury of the Hofburg, at Vienna.
DISAPPEARANCE OF THE THALER.
Very quietly and without much fuss survival
OF the Middle Ages has just disappeared. in the
form Of the German coin known as the thaler' and
It has now ceased TO be currency. In medieval
times the standard coin was the gold form Of
Italy but the rarity Of gold in Germany and the
discovery of silver mines in the Northern Tyrol
caused Sigismund, Grand Duke Of the Tyrol, 10
strike silver piece OF the value as the gold
form. This was in 1884. and the new coin was
soon adopted throughout Germany and SETTER
land II did not, however. get the name or thaIer
Until about hundred years later, when the prin-
dpal mint Of Count Schlick, proprietor OF impor-
tant silver mines, was situated in the town OF
Joachimstahl. in Northern Bohemia. The coins
struck there popularity called Joaehims-
tah!er.' which In course Of time abbreviated
% 'thaeF"
collection Of tLaIers f. an epitome Of German
history and to-day they remain the principal cur
iency in certain portions Of Africa thalers bear
been ninted until quite recently in Germany for
Use in Abyssnis. where they constitute the stand
ara coin The place Of the thaler in Germany is
-" taken by the 5-mark piece, and al thaierS
are beiag called in