Many little girls across the globe dream of one day being princesses. However, the chances are nearly nonexistent for most. For the few that are passed the title, all little girls through adult women get to live vicariously through them. With a few princesses represented in Whitman Publishing’s 100 Greatest Women on Coins series, we will look closer at one who comes from a tiny country tucked away in the mountains between Switzerland and Austria. Author Ron Guth will be our guide as we continue our journey learning about some of the most important women throughout numismatics.
#86 – Princess Gina of Liechtenstein
Born Countess Georgine Norberte Johanna Franziska Antoine Marie Raphaela von Wilczek in Gratz (Graz) in October of 1921, Gina was the daughter of the count of Wilczek and the countess of Wchinitz and Tettau. She would go on to eventually marry Prince Franz Joseph II, becoming Her Serene Highness the Princess of Liechtenstein. Soley hereditary and patriarchal, the Liechtenstein line prevented Gina or any other female heirs to be in line for succession.
Gina would have five children with Franz Joseph, the eldest being Prince Hans-Adam who is currently the ruler of Liechtenstein. Their only daughter, Princess Nora, is currently the Marquessa of Mariño.
One of the founders of the Liechtenstein Red Cross in 1945, Gina served as its first president until her daughter-in-law, Princess Marie, took over in 1985. She would pass just a few years later in October in 1989 before her husband despite him being 15 years her senior. However, he would go on to pass less than a month later.
Issued by Liechtenstein, Princess Gina is featured on a 100-frank gold coin in 1952 and on a 25- and 50-frank gold coin issued in 1956. All three coins show Gina with her husband as the pair are depicted in busts. Gina is the bust shown behind her husband.
Guth claims collecting difficulty of those gold coins is moderate. The mintages do not indicate a rarity, but their composition is gold, making them expensive to any collector. The 25-frank gold coin sells for over $300, the 50-frank gold coins for over $450, and the much more expensive 100-frank gold coin ranges from $1,600 to $4,000 depending on condition. The 100-frank gold coin has a lower mintage as well of only 4,000.