Bavaria 1739 10 ducats Fr-227b
This specimen was lot 30205 in Heritage auction 3096 (Dallas, TX, March 2021), where it sold for $108,000. The catalog description[1] noted,
"Elaborate Gold 10 Ducat of Bavaria. German States: Bavaria. Karl Albrecht gold Medallic 10 Ducat 1739 AU58 NGC, Munich mint, . By Franz Schega. CAR • ALB • D • G • V • B • & P • - S • D • C • P • R • S • R • I • A • & E • L • L •, armored bust right bearing chain of the Order of the Golden Fleece / Two lions supporting coats of arms of Bavaria and the Palatinate, electoral cap above, city view of Munich below, date in Roman numerals on ribbon above. One of fewer than a handful known, its lack of inclusion in the Standard Catalog of World Coins is a testament to its extreme rarity. The flan is lightly Prooflike, with just a touch of friction to the high points, while the strike has been rendered definitively. Possessing a fine design style, it is notable that the artist responsible, Schega, was self-taught as both an engraver and a medallist. For completeness, some small scratches appear in the reverse field to the upper right of the coat of arms, but they are of little consequence to the overall pleasing nature of this specimen. To our knowledge, only one other specimen has been certified, besting the current offering by a mere three grade points, which achieved 210,000 Euros in June 2020. Karl Albrecht (Charles VII) served as Prince-elector of Bavaria from 1726, and as Holy Roman Emperor from 1742 until his death in 1745. His reign as the latter represented the height of the Bavarian Rococo era and marked the end of three centuries of uninterrupted Habsburg imperial rule. From the Paramount Collection."
This design was also struck in a twenty ducat format (Fr-227a), also rare.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 35 g, 0.986 fine gold, this specimen 34.80 g.
Catalog reference: KM-Unl., Fr-227B (Very Rare), Wittelsbach-1868 var. (unlisted in gold), Hahn-239 var. (same), Grotemeyer-2.
- 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.
- Craig, William D., Germanic Coinages: Charlemagne through Wilhelm II, Mountain View, CA: 1954.
- [1]Bierrenbach, Cristiano and Warren Tucker, Heritage World and Ancient Coins Auction 3096, featuring the Paramount Collection of World & Ancient Coins, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2021.
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