8. The Imperial Orb of Austria
Worn by the Roman Emperor, Holy
Been in possession since: 1612
Value Estimate: Not Known
Included in the Austrian Crown Jewels, the Austrian Imperial Orb is one of three symbols of the Austrian Royal Family, together with a scepter and a crown. The Orb is on exhibit at Vienna’s Hofburg Palace Imperial Treasury, together with the Scepter and Crown.
The Royal Orb of Austria ©europesroyalsjewels/Tumblr
The Austrian Royal Crown served as the inspiration for the shape of the Orb, which was commissioned in the early 1600s by Holy Roman Emperor Matthias, who is depicted holding it in historical portraits. On the other hand, it turned out that the scepter was not made of unicorn horn as previously believed; rather, it was made of narwhal horn.
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