Bavaria 1875-D 20 mark
This specimen was lot 2219 in Künker sale 352 (Osnabrück, Germany, September 2021), where it sold for €2,400 (about US$3,340 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"REICHSGOLDMÜNZEN, BAYERN, Ludwig II. 1864-1886. 20 Mark 1875. Sehr seltener Jahrgang. Etwas Belag, vorzüglich. (Germany, unified gold coinage of the empire, kingdom of Bavaria, Louis II, 1864-86, twenty mark of 1875. Very rare date, extremely fine.)"
This type was struck 1874-81. It has a modified reverse from the previous type of 1872-73. King Ludwig II ruled until 1886, when he was deposed in favor of his brother. Disliked for his extravagance and his homosexuality, he died soon after under very mysterious circumstances.
Recorded mintage: unknown but a rare date.
Specification: 7.99 g, 0.900 fine gold, .231 troy oz AGW.
Catalog reference: Fr-3763, KM 900, J. 197.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- 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.
- Craig, William D., Germanic Coinages: Charlemagne through Wilhelm II, Mountain View, CA: 1954.
- Jaeger, Kurt, Die Deutschen Münzen seit 1871, Basel: Münzen und Medaillen AG, 1982.
- [1]Künker, Fritz Rudolf, Horst-Rudiger Künker, Ulrich Künker and Andreas Kaiser, Künker Auktion 352: Die Sammlung Hermann Schwarz: Faszination des gepragten Goldes. Osnabrück: Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co., AG, 2021.
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