Austria 1648 5 ducats Fr-216
This specimen was lot 32084 in Heritage sale 3081 (New York, January 2020), where it sold for $43,200. The catalog description[1] noted, "Austria: Stunning and Elusive Austrian 5 Ducat. Ferdinand III gold 5 Ducat 1648 MS61 NGC, Vienna mint. Johann Conrad Richthausen as mintmaster (chevron containing pellet on obverse). Struck from 1/2 Taler dies (cf. Voglhuber-206/III for Taler). By all indications an extremely elusive mintmaster and date for this already very rare multiple ducat, entirely missing from the Standard Catalog of World Coins, which cites only the emissions of his predecessor Hans Jacob Stadler. Painstakingly struck to render all of the devices in the sharpest relief possible, not a millimeter off-center, with only the most inconsequential of doubling in a few contained portions of the legends. Further drenched in sun-gold tone with a few spots of red-gold near the edges, a small planchet flaw at 6 o'clock on the reverse standing as the sole "stray mark." A true connoisseur's coin. Ex. Künker Auction 117 (28 September 2006, Lot 5851)." This rare and exensive type is listed for 1642-46 and 1655.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 17.50 g, 0.986 fine gold, this specimen 17.25 g.
Catalog reference: KM 912 (this date unlisted), Fr-216.
- Craig, William D., Germanic Coinages: Charlemagne through Wilhelm II, Mountain View, CA: 1954.
- Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
- 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.
- [1]Bierrenbach, Cristiano, Warren Tucker and Sam Spiegel, Heritage World and Ancient Coins Auction 3081, featuring the Caranett Collection, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2019.
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