Bohemia 1611 2 ducats Fr-20
This specimen was lot 30320 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Chicago, August 2022), where it sold for $3,600. The catalog description[1] noted, "BOHEMIA. Gold Medallic 2 Ducats, 1611. Prague Mint. Matthias II. NGC VF Details--Surface Hairlines. Commemorating the crowning of Matthias in Bohemia. Obverse: Stork standing left, head lowered, in act of killing serpent; Reverse: Crown over two palm fronds; legend and date in six lines below; all within wreath. A VERY RARE and interesting medallic issue, this example does exhibit some smoothing and cleaning to the surfaces, but still offers great overall detail. Matthias II was crowned King of Bohemia to supersede Rudolph II, who was deemed incompetent to deal with the serious religious and political divisions threatening the Habsburg grip upon the kingdom. Upon the death of Matthias in 1619, religious and civil strife broke out with the election of the Elector Palatine, Friedrich V--the "Winter King" of Czech nationalists. That monarch was overcome only at great cost. From the Augustana Collection. Ex: Stack's (1/2008) Lot # 2415. Ex: Heritage 363 (1/2005) Lot # 21617."
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 6.98 g, 0.986 fine gold, 26 mm diameter.
Catalog reference: Fr-20.
- 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.
- Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
- Craig, William D., Germanic Coinages: Charlemagne through Wilhelm II, Mountain View, CA: 1954.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, The 2022 ANA Auction - Ancients & World Coins - Featuring The Salton Collection Part III, the Augustana Collection and the Robert C. Knepper Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2022.
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