Brandenburg-Franconia (1404-40) goldgulden Fr-303
This specimen was lot 1146 in Sincona sale 38 (Zürich, May 2017), where it did not sell. The catalog description[1] noted,
"Brandenburg-Franken, Markgrafschaft, Friedrich IV. (I.), 1404-1415-1440 Goldgulden o. J. Wöhrd bei Nürnberg. Von grösster Seltenheit. Sehr schön. (margraviate of Brandenburg-Franconia, Frederick VI, 1404-40, undated gold gulden, Nuremburg mint. Of the highest rarity, Very fine.)"
Frederick VI (not IV as stated in the auction description) was burgrave of Nurnberg from 1404 and elector of Brandenburg from 1415 (as Frederick I). As such, he was the first Hohenzollern to rule in Brandenburg and his descendants would rule there until 1918. He was also responsible for dividing his Franconian holdings into Brandenburg-Ansbach and Brandenburg-Bayreuth, which margraviates would remain separate and quarreling until their reunion in 1769. This goldgulden, Frederick's only gold issue, is rare.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 3.5 g, 0.986 fine gold, .110 troy oz AGW, this specimen 3.42 g.
Catalog reference: v. Schrötter 231b. Fr-303.
- 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.
- [1]Jürg Richter, Auction 38, Gold Coins and Medals, Zürich: Sincona AG, 2017.
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