Kaufbeuren 1542 thaler Dav-9344
This specimen was lot 1207 in Jean Elsen sale 149 (Brussels, December 2021), where it sold for €300 (about US$406 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"ALLEMAGNE, KAUFBEUREN, Ville, AR Taler, 1542. Au titre de Charles Quint. D/ B. couronné et cuir. de l'empereur à d., ten. un sceptre sur l'épaule et la garde de son épée. R/ Ecu échancré. Légère trace de bélière (?). Très Beau. (Germany, city of Kaufbeuren, silver thaler of 1542, struck in the name of Charles V; reverse: crowned and armored bust of the emperor to right, bearing a scepter and a sword; reverse: arms. Traces of jewelry use, Very Fine.)"
This obscure Swabian town is of no interest to numismatists except for a series of thalers (Dav-9344 thru -9355) struck 1540-52. This particular variety is listed for 1540-47. These were struck nearly a century before its much larger neighbor, Augsburg, struck any thalers. The region is now part of Bavaria.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 26.50-28.93 g, silver, 40 mm diameter, this specimen 28,91 g.
Catalog reference: KM MB4, Schulten 1557; Dav-9344.
- Davenport, John S., German Talers, 1500-1600, Frankfurt am Main, Numismatischer Verlag P. N. Schulten, 1979.
- Nicol, N. Douglas, Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of German Coins, 1501-Present, 3rd ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2011.
- [1]Elsen, Philippe, et al., Vente Publique 149: Monnaies, Médailles et Décorations, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils S.A., 2021.
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