Lubeck 1724 ducat Fr-1508
This specimen was lot 42317 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2026), where it sold for $36,000. The catalog description[1] noted, "Excessively Rare Ducat in Amazing Condition, GERMANY. Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp. Lübeck (Bishopric). Ducat, 1724. Eutin Mint. NGC MS-62. Mintmaster: Johan Justus Jaster. Engraver: Ehrenreich Hannibal. Excessively rare Ducat, only 50 struck, and missing from the auction circuit for decades if not longer. Even Lange only had a galvanic copy in his collection. A magnificent looking piece with full luster and lots of eye-appeal, this coin is the perfect combination of beauty, rarity and conservation. Ex: L. E. Bruun Collection. Ex: Fr. Chr. Bech Collection (Copenhagen - 1906, 1907), Lot# 1871." The bishopric of Lübeck was established in the twelfth century. Like most of northern Germany, including the separate free city of Lübeck, it went over to Lutheranism in the mid-sixteenth century and all its bishops were Lutherans after 1586. Wikipedia comments, "Christian Augustus of Holstein-Gottorp-Eutin (1673-1726) was a cadet of the reigning ducal House of Holstein-Gottorp who became prince-bishop of Lübeck (de facto prince of Eutin) and regent of the Duchy of Holstein-Gottorp. He was the father of Adolf Frederick, King of Sweden, and the maternal grandfather of Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia." As a Lutheran, he was married and had ten children, eight of whom survived him. Christian August also struck a thaler (Dav-2409), a six schilling, a sechsling and a dreiling.
Recorded mintage: 50.
Specification: 3.49 g, 0.986 fine gold, this specimen 3.45 g.
Catalog reference: Fr-1508; KM-80.2; Lange-510AAb; Bruun-15044.
- 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.
- Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, January 2026 NYINC Showcase Auction, Ancient and World Coins, featuring the Kazmier Wysocki Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2025.
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