Hungary 1669-KB 5 ducats Fr-125
This specimen was lot 21191 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Philadelphia, August 2018), where it sold for $33,600. The catalog description[1] noted, "HUNGARY. 5 Ducats, 1669-KB. Kremnitz Mint. Leopold I (1657-1705). NGC AU Details--Removed from Jewelry. King standing holding globus cruciger in one hand, scepter in other; split K-B in left and right fields, legend surrounding all; Reverse: Radiant Madonna and child motif; legend surrounds. Boldly struck with strong detail remaining and surfaces that show a typical jewelry appearance, hairlines swirling through the fields. Closer inspection reveals some smoothing of the rims to possibly disguise a previous mount removal and a curious diagonal bowing on the obverse that could be the result of the planchet once having been bent. Despite its shortcomings however, full of pleasing qualities and EXTREMELY RARE as a type, this being the only example of either the 1669 or 1672 date that we have seen. Valued at $15,000 in VF condition in Gold Coins of the World by Arthur Friedberg. Ex: Virgil Brand Collection." This type is noted in the SCWC for 1669 and 1674.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 17.5 g, 0.986 fine gold; this specimen 16.7 g.
Catalog reference: Fr-125; KM-182; H-1288.
- [1]Ponterio, Richard, Kyle Ponterio and Chris Chatigny, The August 2018 Philadelphia ANA Auction: World Coins and Selections from the El Dorado Collection of Colombian Coins, Santa Ana, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2018.
- 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.
- Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
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