Brunswick-Luneburg-Calenberg 1684-RB thaler Dav-6593
The first specimen was lot 3817 in Künker sale 335 (Osnabrück, Germany, March 2020), where it sold for €1,900 (about US$2,486 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"BRAUNSCHWEIG UND LÜNEBURG, BRAUNSCHWEIG-CALENBERG-HANNOVER, Ernst August, 1679-1698, seit 1662 Bischof von Osnabrück. Reichstaler 1684, Zellerfeld. R Sauber ausgeprägtes Exemplar mit hübscher Patina, vorzüglich. (Germany, duchy of Brunswick-Luneburg-Calenberg, Ernest Augustus, 1679-98, bishop of Osnabrück since 1662, thaler of 1684, Zellerfeld mint. Scarce, well struck with nice patina, extremely fine.)"
The second specimen was lot 55630 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Pittsburgh, PA, August 2023), where it sold for $264. The catalog description[1] noted, "GERMANY. Brunswick-Luneburg: Calenberg. Taler, 1684-RB. Zellerfeld Mint. Ernst August. Extremely Fine Details -- Tooled. This date is not listed for KM-279. From the Robert C. Knepper Collection." Christian Ludwig was duke in Calenberg 1641-48 and in Celle 1648-65. His younger brother Georg Wilhelm was duke in Calenberg 1648-65 and in Celle 1665-1705. Johann Friedrich, the third brother, was duke in Calenberg 1665-79. The last brother, Ernst August, was duke in Calenberg 1679-98 and elector of Hannover 1692-98. Ernst August's son George inherited Calenberg and Hannover in 1698, Celle in 1705 and the throne of Great Britain in 1714. This "wild man" thaler, one of many struck with this theme, was issued 1684-85 and is fairly common. Other thalers for 1684 include KM 267.5 (Dav-6607), KM 318 (Dav-6632, bust/arms), KM 317.1 (Dav-6608) and KM 320.1 (Dav-6633).
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: silver, the first specimen 29.06 g.
Catalog reference: KM 316, Dav-6593; Welter 1953.
- Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
- Davenport, John S., German Secular Talers, 1600-1700, Frankfurt: Numismatischer Verlag, 1976.
- [1]Künker Münzauktionen und Goldhandel, Catalog 335: Bracteates from Upper Swabia and the area of the Lake Constance | Coins and Medals from Medieval and Modern Times, a. o. the Dr. Karl Walter Bach Collection of coins of the Austrian nobility, Special collections of Bavaria, Lubeck, Wurttemberg as well as siege coins from the Eberhard Link Collection. Osnabrück: Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co., AG, 2020.
- [2]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, August 2023 Global Showcase Auction, World & Ancient Coins, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2023.
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