Magdeburg 1629 12 groschen
This specimen was lot 4298 in Künker sale 441 (Osnabrück, March 2026), where it sold for €4,000 (about US$5,503 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"MAGDEBURG, STADT 12 Groschen 1629, geprägt während der Belagerung durch kaiserliche Truppen unter General Albrecht von Wallenstein, mit Gegenstempel auf der Vorderseite: Fünfblättrige Rose. RR Münze: Fast sehr schön; Gegenstempel: Sehr schön. Erworben 1997 vom Soester Münzkabinett, Heinz-Günther Hild, Soest. (city of Magdeburg, twelve groschen of 1629, struck while besieged by the imperial troops of Wallenstein, with a counterstamp on the obverse of a five petalled rose. Very rare; host about very fine, counterstamp very fine.)"
This type was struck during the first siege of the city by Catholic forces. In 1631, the town was captured and sacked by Tilly's troops and most of the inhabitants were massacred (c. 20,000).
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: silver, this specimen 13,63 g.
Catalog reference: KM 260 (without counterstamp), Brause-Mansfeld Tf. 17, 16 (without counterstamp); v. Schr. 934; Engel/Fabre/Perret/Wattier 4.1.14.1/4.
- Craig, William D., Germanic Coinages: Charlemagne through Wilhelm II, Mountain View, CA: 1954.
- Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
- Korchnak, Lawrence C., Siege Coins of the World, 1453-1902, Lancaster, PA: Classical Numismatic Group, 2021.
- [1]Künker, Fritz Rudolf, Horst-Rudiger Künker, Ulrich Künker and Andreas Kaiser, Frühjahrs-Auktion 441: Orders and Decorations from the Estate of Wilhelm, Duke of Bavaria (1752–1837), among others | Coins and Medals from the Middle Ages and Modern times, particularly Denmark, Habsburg, Norway, and Saxony, Osnabrück: Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co., AG, 2026.
Links:
- 1624 thaler
- city of Magdeburg 1629 6 groschen, besieged by imperial troops
- Brandenburg 1629 1/2 thaler
- Brandenburg-Ansbach 1629 1/2 thaler
- 1629-PS thaler
- Coins and currency dated 1629