Bremen 1743 10 ducats Fr-418
This specimen was lot 30210 in Heritage auction 3096 (Dallas, TX, March 2021), where it sold for $156,000. The catalog description[1] noted,
"Rare Free City 10 Ducat Struck with Taler Dies. German States: Bremen. Free City gold 10 Ducat 1743-MF MS62 NGC. Martin Fischer as mintmaster. With the name and titles of Karl VII. Struck from Taler dies (cf. KM 183, Dav-2049). Extremely rare, and the only example of the type hailing from this former Hanseatic city that we have encountered to date, with Jungk reporting only a single gold striking (of unspecified weight) in the Cassel Münzkabinett. It is no exaggeration to say that the intricate designs, also employed in the production of the taler issue of 1743, achieve their most remarkable presentation in this luxurious and heavy-weight gold format. Animated golden luster careens over the fields upon rotation and inspection, confirming NGC's Mint State designation. A firm and central placement of the dies has resulted in even borders at the edges, as well as crisp highpoint detail to the majority of the features. Collectors of the German States series will no doubt be familiar with the city key and lion supporters design that spans several centuries of use on the city's coinage, yet few will ever have the chance to see, much less own, such an exemplary piece in gold, preserved in its full Mint State glory. From the Paramount Collection."
The city also issued an eight ducats (Fr-419), six ducats (Fr-419a) and five ducats (Fr-420) in 1743 in honor Charles VII, the Bavarian who was briefly Holy Roman Emperor.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 35 g, 0.986 fine gold, this specimen 34.97 g.
Catalog reference: KM-Unl., Fr-418 (Rare), Wittelsbach-Unl., cf. Jungk-511 (gold striking mentioned, though weight not provided).
- 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.
- 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.
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