Bohemia 1633 5 ducats Fr-39
This specimen was lot 30131 in Heritage auction 3096 (Dallas, TX, March 2021), where it sold for $204,000. The catalog description[1] noted,
"Austria: Virtually Choice Bohemian 5 Ducat. Bohemia - Ferdinand II gold 5 Ducat 1633-(p) MS62 NGC, Prague mint. Tobias Schuster as mintmaster. By all indications an incredibly scarce date for this already rare gold coinage. A review of auction records confirms that, aside from this specimen, there has only been one other example to surface in the last 20 years or so-that piece being a cleaned specimen with a mount removal, yet still achieving $14,000 in January of 2013. This offering, struck on a sound flan, is free of any serious undulations, bending, or flaws.
Coins such as this very clearly asserted Ferdinand's power and dominance during the difficult years of the Thirty Years' War. His depiction standing clad in full armor certainly pointed to what he saw as the sanctity of his office, perhaps even more noteworthy in 1633 for his mounting suspicions and subsequent deposition of Albrecht von Wallenstein, whom he suspected of plotting a coup. As a date, this coin is notably missing from the Horsky, Julius, and Donebauer collections, and we find it highly unlikely that collectors will soon have another chance to add such a fine example to their collections. Ex. Leu Numismatik Auction 89 (October 2003, Lot 170). From the Paramount Collection."
This type was struck 1621-24, 1628-37 yet remains rare.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 17.5 g, 0.986 fine gold, this specimen 17.23 g.
Catalog reference: KM 317, Fr-39, Horsky-Unl., Julius-Unl., Donebauer-Unl., Herinek-88, Dietiker-757.
- Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
- 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.
- [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.
Link to:
- (1612-19) 5 ducats, "three emperors," Prague mint
- 1621 10 ducats, Prague mint
- 1628 5 ducats, Breslau mint
- 1632 8 ducats, St. Veit mint
- 1632 10 ducats, St. Veit mint
- 1633 ducat, Vienna mint
- 1633 double ducat, Vienna mint
- 1633 10 ducats, Prague mint
- 1636 5 ducats, Prague mint
- Coins and currency dated 1633