Bavaria 1729 2 carolin d'or Fr-228
This specimen was lot 55 in Künker sale 400 (Berlin, February 2024), where it sold for €60,000 (about US$77,838 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"BAYERN, HERZOGTUM, SEIT 1623 KURFÜRSTENTUM, Karl Albert, 1726-1745. Doppelter Karolin 1729, München. C · A · V · B · D · E · & * M · A · E · B · A · A · & · Brustbilder Karl Alberts und seiner Gemahlin Maria Amalia, Tochter Josefs I. von Österreich, nebeneinander r.//Zwei auf Felsen stehende Löwen halten gemeinsam das mit dem Kurhut bedeckte, vierfeldige Wappen (Bayern/Pfalz) mit Mittelschild Reichsapfel, umher die Kette des Ordens vom Goldenen Vlies, darunter die Kette des St. Georgsordens, oben die römische Jahreszahl * MDCCXXVIIII *, unten Stadtansicht von München. In US-Plastikholder der NGC mit der Bewertung MS 63 (6862161-005). GOLD. Von großer Seltenheit. Sehr attraktives Exemplar mit herrlichem Prägeglanz, vorzüglich-Stempelglanz. Exemplar der westfälischen Privatsammlung „Mehrfachportraits auf Münzen und Medaillen". (Germany, electorate of Bavaria, Charles Albert, 1726-45, double carolin of 1729, Munich mint. Obverse: busts of Charles Albert and his wife Maria Amalia, daughter of Joseph of Austria, together facing right; reverse: two lions standing on rocks support the quartered arms of Bavaria and the Palatinate, electoral cap above, with an imperial orb in the escutcheon, the chain of the Order of the Golden Fleece around, underneath the chain of the Order of St. George, above the date, below the city view of Munich. Graded NGC MS63, extremely rare, very attractive example with superb luster, extremely fine to uncirculated.)"
The SCWC notes that this type was issued for the foundation of the Order of St. George. This was the only time this denomination was used. Karl's predecessor, Maximilian II Emanuel, issued a double maximilian d'or but his coin was only 13.30 grams.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 19.8 g, gold, 30 mm diameter, this specimen 19.40 g.
Catalog reference: KM 412, Fr-228; Hahn 261.
- 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.
- Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
- [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.
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