Bern 1719 1/2 ducat Fr-173
This specimen was lot 32279 in Heritage sale 3076 (Long Beach, CA, September 2019), where it sold for $3,120. The catalog description[1] noted, "Switzerland: Bern. Canton gold 1/2 Ducat 1719 MS64 NGC. Struck on a slightly irregular flan, though certainly fully so, with a resulting sharpness to the design features that would be difficult if not impossible to exceed. The surfaces reveal significant reflectivity upon inspection, resulting in an undeniable allure only heightened by the specimen's "Top Pop" position with NGC. From the Allen Moretti Swiss Collection." The SCWC notes five different half ducats for the period 1714-19, some of them almost affordable but this one is rare. This is the last half ducat from the city. There is also KM 92, with the arms in a circle.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 1.75 g, 0.986 fine gold.
Catalog reference: KM 93, Fr-173, HMZ-2-217f.
- [1]Bierrenbach, Cristiano and Warren Tucker, Heritage World and Ancient Coins Auction 3076, featuring the Allen Moretti Swiss Collection and the James Mossman Collection of Canadian Coinage, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 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.
- Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
- 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.
Link to: