Bidspirit auction | Austro-Hungarian Traditional Leather Folk Belt

Austro-Hungarian Traditional Leather Folk Belt Decorated with 19th Century Silver Quarter Florin Coins - A decorative leather belt of a type associated with traditional Austro-Hungarian or Alpine folk costume. The item consists of a dark brown tapered leather strap mounted with graduated silver-toned coins riveted directly to the surface. At the centre, a decorative swag features fifteen smaller coins suspended horizontally between two sections of the leather by four parallel lengths of curb-link chain. These coins are identified as Austrian Empire 1/4 Florin (Gulden) pieces minted during the reign of Emperor Franz Joseph I, with visible dates including 1858, 1859, and 1860. Inscriptions include GALLOD ILL REX A A and HUNG BOH LOMB ET VEN. The belt is fitted with a simple metal pin buckle and leather loop. No maker marks are identified on the leather or hardware.