Hannover 1853-B 5 thaler Fr-1180
The first specimen was lot 29748 in Heritage sale 3042 (Long Beach, September 2015), where it sold for $1,292.50. The catalog description[1] noted, "Hannover. George V gold 5 Taler 1853-B AU55 NGC, Hannover mint, A minimally circulated example from this short-lived issue, with handsome, reddish-tinged color and lightly marked surfaces. Desirable at all levels, but especially those that approach Mint State." The second specimen was lot 2424 in Künker sale 439 (Osnabrück, March 2026), where it sold for €1,900 (about US$2,614 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[2] noted,
"BRAUNSCHWEIG-CALENBERG-HANNOVER, AB 1692 KURFÜRSTENTUM HANNOVER, AB 1815 KÖNIGREICH HANNOVER Georg V., 1851-1866. 5 Taler 1855 B. GOLD. Prachtexemplar. Winz. Kratzer, fast Stempelglanz. (kingdom of Hannover, George V, 1851-66, five thalers of 1855. Cabinet example, hairlines, about uncirculated.)"
The bust of the king is of George V, son of last of the sons of George III of England. Various types of five thaler pieces were struck most years between 1813 and 1856; the type shown here was issued 1850-56 only and is scarce. The kingdom of Hannover was the old duchy of Brunswick-Luneburg prior to the Napoleonic invasions. It was separated from the British crown in 1837 and absorbed by Prussia in 1866. "Harz gold" five thalers (Fr-1181) also exist for 1853.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 6.65 g, 0.896 fine gold, .191 troy oz AGW, the second specimen 6,64 g.
Catalog reference: KM 224, Divo/S. 114; Fr-1180; Schl. 423.
- Craig, William D., Germanic Coinages: Charlemagne through Wilhelm II, Mountain View, CA: 1954.
- 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.
- [1]Cristiano Bierrenbach, Warren Tucker and David Michaels, Heritage World Coin Auction 3042, featuring the Read and Bob Bennett Collections, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2015.
- [2]Künker, Fritz Rudolf, Horst-Rudiger Künker, Ulrich Künker and Andreas Kaiser, Frühjahrs-Auktion 439: Gold Coins from around the world, particularly Denmark, Habsburg, Malta and Saxony | German Coins after 1871 including Coins from the Collection of Jürgen and Erika Schmidt, Osnabrück: Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co., AG, 2026.
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