Lowenstein-Wertheim-Rochefort 1712 thaler Dav-2399
This specimen was lot 4254 in Künker sale 406 (Osnabrück, March 2024), where it sold for €3,400 (about US$4,461 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"LÖWENSTEIN-WERTHEIM-ROCHEFORT, GRAFSCHAFT, Maximilian Karl, 1662-1718. Reichstaler 1712, Augsburg. Fürstentaler. Geharnischtes Brustbild r. mit umgelegtem Mantel, am Armabschnitt Münzzeichen Stern (Stempelschneider Philipp Heinrich Müller, Augsburg)//Achtfeldiges Wappen mit Mittelschild Bayern auf gekröntem Hermelinmantel, unten Münzzeichen zwei Hufeisen (Münzmeister Christian Hohleisen) zwischen der geteilten Jahreszahl 17 - 12. RR Attraktives Exemplar mit feiner Patina, fast vorzüglich. Bei dem vorliegenden Stück handelt es sich um den ersten Taler, der nach der Erhebung von Maximilian Karl in den Reichsfürstenstand am 3. April 1711 geprägt und daher mit dem Titel PRINCEPS versehen wurde. Deshalb wird er auch Fürstentaler genannt. (county of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rochefort, Maximilian Charles, 1662-1718, thaler of 1712, Augsburg mint, on his promotion to prince. Obverse: armored and mantled bust right, a star on the truncation; reverse: mantled and capped eightfold arms with an escutcheon of Bavaria, mintmark two horseshoes. Very rare, attractive example with fine patina, extremely fine. This piece is the first thaler that was minted after Maximilian Karl was elevated to the status of imperial prince on April 3, 1711, and was therefore given the title PRINCEPS. That's why it is also called the prince's thaler.)"
Löwenstein-Wertheim was a county of the Holy Roman Empire, part of the Franconian Circle. It was formed from the counties of Löwenstein (based in the town of Löwenstein) and Wertheim (based in the town of Wertheim am Main) and from 1488 until 1806 ruled by the House of Löwenstein-Wertheim who are morganatic descendants (and the most senior line) of the Palatinate branch of the House of Wittelsbach. Löwenstein-Wertheim-Virneburg was the Protestant branch and Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rochefort was the Catholic branch. They occasionally put aside their quarrels and issued joint coinage.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: silver, this specimen 29,03 g.
Catalog reference: KM 41, Dav-2399; Forster 345; Wibel 217; Beck/Morschek 22.7.
- Craig, William D., Germanic Coinages: Charlemagne through Wilhelm II, Mountain View, CA: 1954.
- Davenport, John S., German Talers, 1700-1800, 2nd Ed., London: Spink & Son, 1965.
- Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
- [1]Künker, Fritz Rudolf, Horst-Rudiger Künker, Ulrich Künker and Andreas Kaiser, Katalog 406: Gold Coins | Coins and Medals from the Medieval and Modern Times, a. o. Löwenstein-Wertheim | German Coins after 1871, a. o. Patterns from the Coenen Collection, Osnabrück: Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co., AG, 2024.
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