Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel 1702 thaler Dav-2931

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Stack's Bowers 2015 NYINC sale, lot 623
photo courtesy Stack's Bowers LLC
Künker sale 354, lot 5504

The first specimen was lot 623 in Stacks-Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2015), where it sold for $11,162.50. The catalog description[1] noted,

"GERMANY. Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel. Taler, 1702. Rudolph August & Anton Ulrich (1685-1704). NGC MS-61. VERY RARE. An impressive medallic type Taler displaying two allegorical scenes, outlining the political strife present in Brunswick at the turn of the eighteenth century. Following the death of Augustus the Younger, Rudolph Augustus was made the Duke of Brunswick-Luneberg. Within a short time the Duke had made his younger brother Anton Ulrich co-regent as he exhibited more interest in government affairs than Rudolph. From 1685 until 1692, the two brothers ruled jointly and without incident until the Hanoverian prince electorship was created, and neither brother received the office. Upon the outbreak of the War of Spanish Succession (1701), when Anton Ulrich made a pact with France in defiance of Emperor Leopold I, the Principality of Wolfenbuttel was thusly invaded by the now strengthened Hanover and Luneberg. This resulted in Anton Ulrich being stripped of his Ducal powers and becoming essentially an outcast. Rudolph Augustus briefly became sole rule once more and signed a treaty to end the hostilities and return his younger brother to the Emperor's grace. To illustrate this precarious fraternal situation, the obverse of this Taler displays a pair of horses, both hitched to an orb, emblazoned with the combined monogram of both ruling brothers 'RAV', suspended between them as they strain in opposing directions unable to separate the two halves, even with aide from a nearby unicorn and lighting bolts from the heavens. This may seem a straight forward if odd visual metaphor, but it is actually based on a real event in the recent history of German science. In 1654 scientist and mayor of Magdeburg, Otto von Guericke, demonstrated his newly designed vacuum pump and the basic concepts of atmospheric pressure, by fitting together two halves of a metal sphere and then creating a vacuum within them, creating a seal which could not be broken even when attached to opposing teams of fifteen horses. Thus we have a recent and mystifying event fresh in the cultural zeitgeist being used to show the inseparable nature of this fraternal co-regency. The reverse displays the allegorical second half of the brothers' gaffe, as well as the outcome of Guericke's experiment. The same monogrammed orb is seen split in two by a simple twist of the wrist on a pressure valve, the "RA" half (Rudolph Augustus) is left standing while the "AV" half (Anton Ulrich) has fallen aside. An impressive and immediately attractive piece combining the political and scientific developments of the age, with the masterful visual storytelling of a medalist. Deep old envelope toning over lustrous surfaces. Displaying some delicate rose and sky blue hues. Sharply struck and very attractive. From the Rockaway Collection."

The second specimen was lot 5504 in Künker sale 354 (Osnabrück, Germany, September 2021), where it sold for €17,000 (about US$23,659 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,

"BRAUNSCHWEIG UND LÜNEBURG, BRAUNSCHWEIG-WOLFENBÜTTEL, FÜRSTENTUM, Rudolf August und Anton Ulrich, 1685-1704. Reichstaler 1702, Goslar, auf die Trennung der brüderlichen Eintracht. Zwei Pferde in einer Landschaft versuchen vergeblich, die unter Druck geschlossenen, mit RAV beschrifteten Halbkugeln auseinanderzuziehen, im Hintergrund Einhorn, darüber Blitze aus Wolken und Schriftband NON - VI//Auf einem Tisch in einer Landschaft liegt die geöffnete Kugel, am Ventil der Kugel eine Hand, auf den Fingern G S C L, darüber Wolken und Schriftband mit SED ARTE, Abschnitt die römische Jahreszahl MDCCII. Von großer Seltenheit. Prachtexemplar. Herrliche Patina, winz. Stempelfehler, fast Stempelglanz. Aus der Sammlung eines Ingenieurs. Exemplar der Auktion Fritz Rudolf Künker 44, Osnabrück 1998, Nr. 3444. (Germany, duchy of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Rudolf August and Anton Ulrich, 1685-1704, Reichstaler 1702, Goslar, on the separation of fraternal unity. Two horses in a landscape try in vain to pull apart the hemispheres, which are closed under pressure and labeled RAV, in the background a unicorn, above lightning bolts of clouds and writing tape NON - VI // The opened ball lies on a table in a landscape, one hand on the valve of the ball, on the fingers GSCL, above clouds and tape with SED ARTE, below the date MDCCII. Of great rarity. Magnificent specimen. Magnificent patina, tiny striking defect, almost uncirculated. From an engineer's collection.)

Dieser Taler existiert in zwei Varianten: Auf dem anderen Exemplar wirft auf der Vorderseite ein Adler die Blitze und auf der Rückseite fehlt das Armband mit dem Nesselblatt, stattdessen steht auf dem Daumen ein P. Zudem ist die Legende ausführlicher: QVOD VI NON POTVIT//DISIECTVM EST ARTE MINISTRA (Was die Gewalt nicht vermochte, ist durch helfenden Kunstgriff gelöst worden). (This thaler exists in two versions: On the other type, an eagle throws lightning bolts on the front and the bracelet with the nettle leaf is missing on the back, instead there is a P on the thumb. In addition, the legend is more detailed: QVOD VI NON POTVIT // DISIECTVM EST ARTE MINISTRA (What violence was unable to do, has been solved by art).)

Es gibt zwei Deutungen zu den Münzbildern: Die älteste, nämlich vom Zeitgenossen Johann David Köhler (1684–1755) in seinen Münzbelustigungen (Bd. 16, 41. 42, S. 321-336 von 1744) verfaßte, bietet eine politische Erklärung. Die beiden Pferde seien die Rösser des Hauses Celle und Hannover. Das Einhorn stelle den Wappenhalter Großbritanniens dar, der blitzeschleudernde Adler den Kaiser. Das Armband mit dem holsteinischen Nesselblatt und den Buchstaben H – A löst Köhler als Herzog Hans Adolf von Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön auf, den Schwiegersohn Rudolf Augusts. Dieser habe das kaiserliche Mandat überbracht und damit die brüderliche Eintracht aufgelöst. (There are two interpretations of the coin images: The oldest, namely by the contemporary Johann David Köhler (1684–1755) in his coin amusements (Vol. 16, 41. 42, pp. 321-336 of 1744), offers a political explanation. The two horses are the steeds of the house of Celle and Hanover. The unicorn represents the coat of arms holder of Great Britain, the lightning-flinging eagle the emperor. The bracelet with the Holstein nettle leaf and the letters H - A dissolved Köhler as Duke Hans Adolf of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön, Rudolf August's son-in-law. This had brought the imperial mandate and thus dissolved the fraternal unity.)

Die andere Erklärung bietet Friedrich Freiherr von Schrötter (Wörterbuch der Münzkunde, s. v. Luftpumpentaler). Die Hand mit dem Armband sei eine weibliche Hand und gehöre zur Gemahlin von Anton Ulrich, die eine geborene Prinzessin von Holstein war, und die Trennung der Brüder durch ihre Ränke herbeigeführt habe. Dabei werden die Buchstaben allerdings nicht berücksichtigt. (The other explanation is provided by Friedrich Freiherr von Schrötter (dictionary of coinage, see v. Luftpumpentaler). The hand with the bracelet is a female hand and belongs to the wife of Anton Ulrich, who was a born princess of Holstein and who caused the separation of the brothers through her intrigues. However, the letters are not taken into account.)"

Recorded mintage: unknown but rare.

Specification: silver, the second specimen 29,15 g.

Catalog reference: Dav-2931; KM-641; Welter-2073b.

Source:

  • [1]Ponterio, Richard, The January 2015 NYINC Auction: Ancient Coins, World Coins & Paper Money, Featuring the John W. Adams and Ray Czabor Collections, Irvine, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2014.
  • Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
  • Davenport, John S., German Talers, 1700-1800, 2nd Ed., London: Spink & Son, 1965.
  • [2]Künker, Fritz Rudolf, Horst-Rudiger Künker, Ulrich Künker and Andreas Kaiser, Künker Auktion 354: Munzen und Medaillen aus Mittelalter und Neuzeit u. a. Braunschweig-Luneburg. Osnabrück: Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co., AG, 2021.

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