Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel 1818-FR 2-1/2 thaler Fr-734
This specimen was lot 33672 in Heritage sale 3098 (New York, January 2022), where it sold for $1,800. The catalog description[1] noted, "German States: Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. Karl II gold 2-1/2 Taler 1818-FR XF40 NGC, Brunswick mint. The rarest of only three dates that this type saw production, representing the sole specimen in the NGC census and only the second we have been to locate coming to auction in the last 2 decades. Issued while Karl was under the guardianship of George, Prince Regent of the United Kingdom and Hannover (King George III), this particular coin was minted in the very year that Karl claimed to have reached his majority (his 18th birthday), whereas George considered the age of majority to be 21 years, leading to a dispute. It seems likely that this event may have played some role in the production of the coinage that year." This rare type was struck 1816, 1818 and 1819. This denomination was equal to a goldgulden, a lightweight version of a ducat. The last gold 2½ thaler was issued in 1851.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 3.32 g, 0.903 fine gold.
Catalog reference: Fr-734, KM 1072, J-307b, D&S-53.
- 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, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- Craig, William D., Germanic Coinages: Charlemagne through Wilhelm II, Mountain View, CA: 1954.
- [1]Cristiano Bierrenbach, Warren Tucker and Sam Spiegel, NYINC World Coins Signature Auction 3098, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2021.
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