Yes,
Klemens von Metternich was not only a statesman who had a lot of influence on Central European politics - he was also a coin collector.
In September 1827 Metternich made a deal with
Karl Huss*, the last executioner in the city of Eger/Cheb: Huss would move to
Königswart/Kynžvart* castle, and Metternich would grant him the right to use it as his residence until the end of his life, plus free heating and a pension. Huss had to take his coin collection to the castle, and work there as a curator. After his death, the coin collection would be Metternich's.
Now why would an executioner have such an interesting coin collection? Huss's father was an executioner too, in the city of Brüx/Most, and that job did not exactly have a good reputation. Yes, somebody "had to do it", but an executioner's office was not reputable. Karl Huss had to leave school early, and then went to Eger where is uncle was, you guessed it, an executioner. He first assisted his uncle, then got the job himself.
Apparently executions were, as from 1788, not done that way (sword, gallows) any more, and Huss was no longer needed. However, he had learned quite a bit about medicine, and then treated some humans and animals - a kind of self-made vet/doctor. He married the daughter of a baker, and they both lived in the executioner's house. His collection of coins, weapons, tools, gems, etc. grew, and he also did a lot of research about local and regional history. Goethe visited him several times and admired his collection.
Metternich heard about, and got interested in, what Huss had collected, and finally made that deal I mentioned. In October 1827 Huss moved to Königswart, and by May 1828 his entire collection was in the castle too. In terms of coins, he had more than 7,000 pieces with a total value of 7,500 gulden. Must have been quite a lot ...
Half a year later, however, a burglar stole many of the coins. The bag that he carried them away in must have weighed about 75 kg (165 lb). Initially Karl Huss was among the suspects too, and even Metternich did not quite trust him. But Huss, who had invested a lot of time and money in the collection while it was still his, apparently convinced Metternich: He (Huss) lived is "his" castle, with all of "his" coins, why would he steal part of the collection? Huss even showed visitors the castle and, in front of the empty coin showcases, would explain which piece had been where.
Roughly another six months later the guy who had stolen the coins was caught in Prague; he had most of the pieces in the inn/hotel room where he lived. And except for a few pieces that got lost, the Huss-Metternich collection can still be visited at Kynžvart castle, on the Western "edge" of the Czech Republic.
The Austrian euro coin that I mentioned is attached here. It does not commemorate the anniversary of Metternich's birth or death but is the
Biedermeier coin from the Austrian History series.
* These two links point at German language sources.Christian
