Basel (1440-52) goldgulden Fr-8
This specimen was lot 3029 in SINCONA Auction 97 (Zürich, May 2025), where it sold for 800 CHF (about US$ including buyers' fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"SCHWEIZ Basel, Reichsmünzstätte Basel, Friedrich, als König, 1440-1452. Goldgulden o. J. (1440-52), Basel. Äusserst seltene Variante. Sehr schön. Kratzer auf dem Avers. Die neue Variante hat die Spitzen des Dreipasses zwischen die Buchstaben "ID" und jeweils in die Mitte des "R". (Switzerland, imperial mint of Basel, Frederick as king of the Romans, 1440-52, undated goldgulden, circa 1440-52, Basel mint. Extremely rare variety, Very Fine, Scratches on obverse. The new variant has the tips of the trefoil between the letters "ID" and in the middle of the "R".)"
Altho the Swiss cantons had won de facto independence from the Empire by the late fifteenth century, the fact was not officially recognized until 1648, when the confederation left the empire by the treaties of Westphalia which ended the Thirty Years War.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 3.25 g, 0.917 fine gold, this specimen 3.28 g.
Catalog reference: Winterstein (Goldgulden) ähnlich 120/121 (new variety!), HMZ 2-49g. Fr-8.
- 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.
- Richter, Jürg, and Ruedi Kunzmann, Neuer HMZ-Katalog, Band 2: Die Münzen der Schweiz und Liechtensteins 15//16. Jahrhundert bis Gegenwart, Regenstauf, Germany: H. Gietl Verlag GmbH, 2006.
- [1]Richter, Jurg, SINCONA Auction 97: World and Swiss Coins and Medals, SINCONA Bullion Auction, Zürich: SINCONA AG, 2025.
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