Frankfurt (1742) ducat Fr-1005a
This specimen was lot 6526 in Künker sale 336 (Osnabrück, Germany, March 2020), where it sold for €600 (about US$785 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"FRANKFURT, STADT, Dukat o. J. (1742), auf die Krönung Karls VII. zum römischen Kaiser. GOLD. R Sehr schön. (Germany, city of Frankfurt, undated ducat, for the coronation of Charles VII as emperor. Scarce, very fine.)"
This is unlisted in the SCWC, probably because of its medallic appearance. This one year type is rare. Frankfurt issued three other ducats honoring the pretender and a double ducat (Fr-1002). Charles Albert was elector of Bavaria 1726-45 and was Holy Roman Emperor during the war of the Austrian Succession as Charles VII, 1742-45. He was unable to hold his own electorate against the Austrians and spent most of the war holed up in Frankfurt, where this ducat was issued. His son surrendered the imperial title to Francis of Lorraine, the husband of Maria Theresia, in exchange for the return of Bavaria.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 3.5 g, 0.986 fine gold, this specimen 3,49 g.
Catalog reference: Förschner 276; Fr-1005 a; J. u. F. 1922; Witt. 1884.
- 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, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
- [1]Künker Münzauktionen und Goldhandel, Catalog 336: Gold coins from all over the World|German Coins after 1871. Osnabrück: Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co., AG, 2020.
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