Bavaria 1731 carolin Fr-229
This specimen was lot 1624 in Sincona sale 94 (Zürich, October 2024), where it sold for 700 CHF (about US$970 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"DEUTSCHLAND Bayern, Herzogtum, seit 1623 Kurfürstentum, seit 1806 Königreich, Karl Albert (Karl VII.), 1726-1745. Karolin 1731, München. Sehr schön. Henkelspur. (Germany, electorate of Bavaria, Charles Albert, 1726-45, carolin of 1731, Munich mint. Very Fine, Mount mark.)"
The eighteenth century saw a fad for absolutist rulers issuing gold coins named after themselves. The most important was the French louis d'or introduced by Louis XIII and issued until the French Revolution in 1789. In Prussia, Frederick the Great minted the friedrichs d'or and Denmark alternated between frederiks d'or and christians d'or depending on who held the throne. In Bavaria, the carolin d'or superseded the maximilian d'or in 1726 but was minted only until 1737 along with half and double carolin d'or. A carolin d'or was ten gulden. An imperial decree of 1736 banned their production by reason of the low fineness of gold.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 9.70 g, 0.770 fine gold, this specimen 9.32 g.
Catalog reference: KM 408, Hahn 258. Fr-229.
- 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]Richter, Jürg, SINCONA Auction 94: World and Swiss Coins and Medals, SINCONA Bullion Auction, Zürich: SINCONA AG, 2024.
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