Livonia (15)56 1/2 mark
This specimen was lot 31316 in Heritage sale 3049 (Long Beach, September 2016), where it sold for $940. The catalog description[1] noted, "Livonian Order. Heinrich von Galen 1/2 Mark 1556 AU55 NGC, Riga mint, A handsome example with much residual luster, lightly toned for the most part with a darker section on the reverse, perhaps from resting on a collector's tag in a cabinet? In any case, a scarce issue and quite desirable in this fine quality." Heinrich von Galen (1551-57) was the third to last commander of the Livonian Order, an offshoot of the Teutonic Knights. Like the Teutonic Knights, the Livonian Knights conquered extensive territories in the Baltic States in the Middle Ages and spent the ensuing centuries defending them from Swedes, Poles, Russians and Danes. The last commander converted to Lutheranism in 1561 and seized the remaining lands as a duchy for himself and his heirs. The region is now part of Latvia.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: silver.
Catalog reference: Neumann-261.
- Nicol, N. Douglas, Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of German Coins, 1501-Present, 3rd ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2011.
- [1]Cristiano Bierrenbach, Warren Tucker and David Michaels, Heritage World Coin Auction 3049, featuring the Ohio Valley Collection, the Redwood Collection and the F.P. Briand Collection, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2016.
Link to:
- Riga 1520 ferding
- Livonia (15)55 ferding, Dorpat mint
- Livonia (15)56 ferding, Wenden mint
- (15)57 half mark, Riga mint
- Livonia (15)60 ferding, Reval mint
- Riga 1565 1/2 mark
- Lithuania 1566 4 groschen
- Riga 1566 ferding
- Livonia 1573 marck
- Coins and currency dated 1556
- return to coins of Lithuania