Hesse-Darmstadt 1709-BIB 2 ducats Fr-1198
This specimen was lot 3726 in Künker sale 264 (Osnabrück, June 2015), where it sold for €6,500 (about US$8,397 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"HESSEN-DARMSTADT, LANDGRAFSCHAFT, Ernst Ludwig, 1678-1739. 2 Dukaten 1709, Darmstadt. Geharnischtes Brustbild r.//Gekröntes, mehrfeldiges Wappen mit Mittelschild von zwei Löwen gehalten, umher Ordenskette, unten zu den Seiten die geteilte Jahreszahl, darunter Postament mit der Signatur B · I · B · (Balthasar Johann Bethmann, Münzmeister in Darmstadt 1707-1733). GOLD. RR Fast vorzüglich. (Germany, landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt, Ernest Louis, 1678-1739, double ducat of 1709, Darmstadt mint. Obverse: armored bust right; reverse: crowned manifold arms supported by two lions, date below, mintmaster's initials at bottom. Rare, choice extremely fine.)"
This specimen is from a rare type noted for 1703, 1707 and 1709. Other dates of double ducats are known, all are rare. The landgrave was promoted to Grand Duke in 1806 by Napoleon.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 7 g, 0.986 fine gold, this specimen 6.95 g.
Catalog reference: Fr-1198; Schütz 2863, KM 106.
- 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 264, Gold coins | Russian Coins and Medals | German Coins after 1871, Osnabrück: Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co., AG, 2015.
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