Munster 1801 1/2 thaler
This specimen was lot 45 in Künker sale 293 (Osnabrück, Germany, July 2017), where it sold for €280 (about US$377 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"MÜNSTER, BISTUM, Sedisvakanz 1801. 1/2 Konv.-Taler 1801, Clausthal. Sehr schön-vorzüglich. (bishopric of Munster, sede vacante, half convention thaler of 1801, Clausthal mint. Very fine to extremely fine.)"
The occasion of the death of bishop Maximilian Franz in 1801 marked the last issue of coinage from this state. Along with this half thaler, a quarter thaler and single thaler (Dav-733) were issued. All of the ecclesiastical states were mediatized by Napoleon and handed over to his allies in 1800-06. The SCWC lists this as a two-thirds thaler, which seems logical, as it is marked "2/3" on the reverse. However, we assume the auction cataloguers, having the coin in hand, know the difference between a gulden and a half thaler. We believe the "2/3" means two-thirds of a gulden.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 14.03 g, 0.833 fine silver.
Catalog reference: Schulze 270; Zepernick 334, KM 212.
- [1]Künker Münzauktionen und Goldhandel, Katalog 293: Münzen aus Mittelalter und Neuzeit u. a. die westfälischen Privatsammlungen Werner Bröker und Bernd Terletzki, Osnabrück: Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co., AG, 2017.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
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