Cologne 1449 weisspfennig
This specimen was lot 6519 in CNG Triton XXIX (New York, January 2026), where it sold for $183.75. The catalog description[1] noted, "GERMANY, Köln (Archbishopric). Dietrich II von Mors. 1414-1463. AR Groschen – Weißpfennig. Riehl mint. Dated 1449. Coat-of-arms surrounded by three smaller coats-of-arms; all within trilobe / Half-length bust of St. Peter facing slightly right within Gothic archway, wearing nimbus crown and holding cruciform scepter and key; coat-of-arms below. Toned, flan crack, areas of weak strike, scratches and marks. Near VF. From the Robert Levinson Collection." The Weißpfennig or blanken was struck by the archbishops of Trier, Mainz and Cologne at Coblenz, starting in the late fourteenth century. It became popular because of its good alloy. It was eventually copied by numerous petty princes along the Rhine. Numista mentions only 1449 but we show a 1447 weisspfennig.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 1.99 g, silver, 24 mm diameter; this specimen 25 mm diameter, 1.83 g, 12 h axis.
Catalog reference: Noss, Köln 382; Levinson I-81.
- Craig, William D., Germanic Coinages: Charlemagne through Wilhelm II, Mountain View, CA: 1954.
- Levinson, Robert, The Early Dated Coins of Europe, 1234-1500: An Illustrated Catalogue and Guide to dated medieval coinage. Clifton, NJ: Coin & Currency Institute, 2007.
- [1]Gasvoda, Michael, Victor England, Eric McFadden, Dave Michaels, Bill Dalzell and Lance Hickman, Triton XXIX, Lancaster, PA: Classical Numismatic Group, LLC, 2025.
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