File:Salzburg c1560 4 ducats obv H3029-30009.jpg

This specimen was lot 30009 in Heritage sale 3029 (New York, January 2014), where it sold for $35,250. The catalog description^[1] noted, "1560-86 Salzburg 4 Ducats Seldom Seen Rarity Johann Jakob Khuen von Belasi gold 4 Ducats ND (1560-86), Fr-630, Probszt-459, AU58 NGC. Obv. Three shields. Rev. Two Saints seated, facing each other. An exceedingly rare issue. Coins produced in the sixteenth century are typically crude in both engraving and striking. Considering these shortcomings, this example is an exceptional product from these rather basic production methods. The rarity is unquestioned, as we can find no records of this type. Salzburg, like many other Europen cities, was a Bishopric from the Middle Ages through the early 1800's. The Bishops' rule was quite firm in Salzburg, and in 1731 the Protestants were ordered to recant their non-Catholic beliefs or be banished from the city. Ex: 'Colonel' E.H.R. Green; Green Estate' Partnership of Eric P Newman / B.G. Johnson."