Aragon (1479-1516)-LS 10 ducats Fr-15a
This specimen was lot 671 in Künker sale 400 (Berlin, February 2024), where it sold for €110,000 (about US$142,703 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"SPANIEN, KÖNIGREICH, Fernando V. 1452-1516. 10 Dukaten o. J. Zaragoza. x FeRDInanDUS : R : DeI : GRaCIa : aRaGOn : Va Gekrönte Büste l. zwischen vier Sternen und den Buchstaben C - A//+TRIVMFATOR : ET : CATOLICVS : CRISTIANIS Gekrönter Wappenschild zwischen Sternen und den Buchstaben L - S. GOLD. Von größter Seltenheit. Attraktives Exemplar, sehr schön-vorzüglich. Exemplar der Slg. Huntington, Auktion Jesus Vico 130, Madrid 2012, Nr. 431. (kingdom of Spain, Ferdinand V, 1452-1516, undated ten ducats, Zaragoza mint. Obverse: crowned bust left between four stars and the letters "C - A"; reverse: crowned arms between stars and the letters "L - S". Extremely rare, attractive example, very fine to extremely fine. Ex-Huntington Collection.)
Mit der Entdeckung Amerikas und dem Abschluß der Reconquista mit der Eroberung Granadas im Jahr 1492 fallen zwei Weltereignisse zusammen. Die Tüchtigkeit des Herrscherpaares Isabella und Fernando V. in Kastilien und Aragón sowie fähige Minister bewirkten den schnellen Aufstieg Spaniens. 1503 kam noch das Königreich Neapel hinzu, 1512 folgte die Eroberung Navarras. Nach Isabellas Tod 1504 konnten die beiden Königreiche Aragon und Kastilien vereinigt werden. 1516 folgte Fernando V. sein Enkel Karl I. der spätere römisch-deutsche Kaiser Karl V. nach. (With the discovery of America and the conclusion of the Reconquista with the conquest of Granada in 1492, two world events coincided. The efficiency of the ruling couple Isabella and Fernando V in Castile and Aragon as well as capable ministers brought about the rapid rise of Spain. In 1503 the Kingdom of Naples was added, followed by the conquest of Navarre in 1512. After Isabella's death in 1504, the two kingdoms of Aragon and Castile were united. In 1516 Fernando V was succeeded by his grandson Charles I, the later Roman-German Emperor Charles V.)"
In addition to the ten ducats shown here, the Zaragoza mint also struck four ducats (Cayón-2347), a double ducat (Cayón-2344) and a single ducat (Cayón-2336). None are common but the two larger denominations are extremely rare.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 35 g, 0.986 fine gold, this specimen 34.95 g.
Catalog reference: Fr-15 a; Calicó 144, Cayón-2348.
- [1]Künker, Fritz Rudolf, Horst-Rudiger Künker, Ulrich Künker and Andreas Kaiser, Katalog 400: Selected löser of the Dukes of Guelph from the Friedrich Popken Collection | Numismatic treasures from the Medieval and Modern Times, a. o. multiple portraits" from a Westphalian private collection, Osnabrück: Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co., AG, 2024.
- Cayón, Adolfo, Clemente Cayón and Juan Cayón, Las Monedas Españolas, del Tremis al Euro: del 411 a Nuestros Dias, vol. 1, Madrid: Cayón-Jano S.L., 2005.
- Calicó, Xavier, Numismática Española: Catálogo General con Precios de Todas las Monedas Españolas Acuñadas desde Los Reyes Católicos Hasta Felipe VI, 1474 a 2020, Barcelona: Aureo & Calicó, 2019.
- Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
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