Hungary 1675-KB 10 ducats Fr-122
This specimen was lot 30349 in Heritage auction 3096 (Dallas, TX, March 2021), where it sold for $216,000. The catalog description[1] noted,
"Resplendent Near-Gem 10 Ducat of Leopold I. Hungary: Leopold I gold 10 Ducat 1675-KB MS64+ NGC, Kremnitz mint. Year at end of reverse legends. An excessively rare type and likely one of only a small handful known, with Dr. Emil Unger's work describing the issue as "unique." We have located one other example, also in Mint State, which sold in a European auction in March of 2013 for over $70,000 hammer. While it is impossible to compare the quality of the two, it is extremely doubtful that the previous offering would have been finer than the present piece, which is highly lustrous, sharp, and decidedly near-gem in appearance. This specimen, the only one certified by either NGC or PCGS, is exceptionally brilliant, carrying sun-gold radiance across its sleek surfaces, unmarred by heavy-handed contact. Only the faintest of light wisps establish the assigned grade, with the strike yielding engaging and decisively-rendered design motifs at every turn, including an exceptional portrait of the Emperor. Meanwhile, crisp legends frame the central features, bathed in golden opulence. Incredibly rare, both as a type and so finely preserved, such an offering is bound to add inestimable prestige to whichever collection it ultimately enters. From the Paramount Collection."
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 35 g, 0.986 fine gold, this specimen 34.78 g.
Catalog reference: KM-Unl., Fr-122, Horsky-Unl., Husz-1272a (R16), Unger-957b (Unique), CNA-41-i-1.
- 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.
- [1]Bierrenbach, Cristiano and Warren Tucker, Heritage World and Ancient Coins Auction 3096, featuring the Paramount Collection of World & Ancient Coins, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2021.
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