Leopold the Hogmouth: Silver Coin (budget box)

Born in Vienna in 1640, Leopold I reigned as Holy Roman Emperor from 1657 until his death in 1705. A generous patron of the arts, Leopold was more of an aesthete than a general. This did not stop him from participating in a number of wars during his reign, including three separate conflicts with Louis XIV’s France, none of them successful. What history remembers Leopold for, however, is his mandibular prognathism—a genetic facial defect known colloquially as Habsburg jaw. Ironically, the portrait of Leopold on this silver triple kreuzer, his ”hogmouth“ looking almost cartoonish, does not accurately reflect his true profile. While no one would accuse the Emperor of being a handsome man, Leopold was less deformed than the unflattering portrait he chose to display on his coinage. Indeed, it was this coin that gave rise to the ”hogmouth“ sobriquet.

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