Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel (1599) thaler Dav-9094

Sincona sale 22, lot 1091

This specimen was lot 1091 in Sincona sale 22 (Zürich, May 2015), where it sold for 380 CHF (about US$576 including buyer's fees). The catalog description^[1] noted,

"Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel, Herzogtum, Heinrich Julius, 1589-1613 Taler o. J. Goslar Pelikantaler. Sehr schön. (Duchy of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel, Henry Julius (1589-1613), undated "pelican" thaler, Goslar mint, very fine.)"

This type was issued about 1599 (some are dated 1599) and is scarce. The "pelican" thaler nickname comes from the scaly-looking bird on the reverse. According to medieval bestiaries, the pelican fed her chicks by piercing her chest and allowing them to feed on the blood. The engraver of this coin had never seen a pelican. The design was selected by the duke to remind his less-than-adoring subjects of the sacrifices he had made on their behalf. The plethora of thalers issued by the duke in the 1590's can be confusing to sort out. The issues of 1599 we list as follows:

KM MB292/Dav-9085: St. Andrew mine, 1597-99
KM MB298/Dav-9078: "Truth"
KM MB299/Dav-9086: "Truth"
KM MB300/Dav-9092: "Wasp"
KM MB301/Dav-9093: "Wasp"
KM MB302/Dav-9094: "Pelican" (shown here)
KM MB303/Dav-9095: "Pelican"
KM MB304/Dav-9096: "Harmony"
KM MB305/Dav-9096C: "Harmony"
KM MB306 struck using half thaler dies

Reported Mintage: unknown.

Specification: silver, this specimen 28.33 g.

Catalog reference: Welter 631; Dav-9094.

Source:

Davenport, John S., German Talers, 1500-1600, Frankfurt am Main, Numismatischer Verlag P. N. Schulten, 1979.
Nicol, N. Douglas, Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of German Coins, 1501-Present, 3rd ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2011.
^[1]Richter, Jürg, Ruedi Kunzmann and Arne Kirsch, Collection Fumatori, Auction 22, Zürich: SINCONA AG, 2015.

Link to:

Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel (1599) thaler Dav-9094

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