Hesse 1872-H 10 mark
This specimen was lot 2751 in Künker sale 439 (Osnabrück, March 2026), where it sold for €3,200 (about US$4,402 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"REICHSGOLDMÜNZEN, HESSEN Ludwig III., 1848-1877. 10 Mark 1872. Prachtexemplar. Vorzüglich-Stempelglanz/Stempelglanz. (grand duchy of Hesse, Louis III, 1848-77, ten mark of 1872. Choice example, extremely fine to uncirculated.)"
Of the two major divisions of Hesse, Hesse-Cassel chose the wrong side in the Austro-Prussian war and found herself annexed. Hesse-Darmstadt survived to become the Grand Duchy of plain Hesse. This ten mark was issued 1872-73 and is scarce despite the substantial mintage.
Recorded mintage: 30,000 plus proofs.
Specification: 3.98 g, 0.900 fine gold, 19.5 mm diameter, decorated edge.
Catalog reference: Fr-3785, KM 350, J. 213.
- 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.
- Jaeger, Kurt, Die Deutschen Münzen seit 1871, Basel: Münzen und Medaillen AG, 1982.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]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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