Magdeburg 1551 gulden KM-MB23
This specimen was lot 313 in Sincona Auction 103 (Zürich, May 2026), where it sold for 7,000 CHF (about US$10,668 including buyers' fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"DEUTSCHLAND Magdeburg, Stadt, Einseitige Klippe zu 1 Gulden 1551, Notgeld, geprägt während der Belagerung durch Moritz von Sachsen. Äusserst selten. Sehr schön. Prägeschwäche. (Germany, city of Magdeburg, uniface klippe gulden of 1551, struck during the siege of the city by Maurice of Saxony. Extremely rare, Very Fine, Weakly struck.)"
This was issued during a siege by Maurice of Saxony (d. 1552), attempting to restore the rule of the archbishop. The infamous sack and burning of the city occurred in 1631, during the Thirty Years War. Quarter and half gulden and a double ducat (Fr-1531) were also struck on this occasion.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 15.07-16.29 g, silver, this specimen 16.54 g.
Catalog reference: KM MB23, von Schrötter 923.
- Korchnak, Lawrence C., Siege Coins of the World, 1453-1902, Lancaster, PA: Classical Numismatic Group, 2021.
- Nicol, N. Douglas, Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of German Coins, 1501-Present, 3rd ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2011.
- [1]Richter, Jürg, Michael Hardmeier, Michael Otto, Arne Kirsch, Ruedi Kunzmann and Timur Demirai, SINCONA Auction 103: World and Swiss coins and medals, Zürich: SINCONA AG, 2026.
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