Murbach and Luders (1623-32) 1/4 thaler
This specimen was lot 1645 in Künker Auction 425 (Osnabrück, July 2025), where it sold for €360 (about US$510 including buyers' fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"EUROPÄISCHE MÜNZEN UND MEDAILLEN · MURBACH UND LÜDERS, ABTEI Leopold von Österreich als Administrator, 1614-1626. 1/4 Reichstaler o. J. (1623/1632), Ensisheim. Mit PASS : E : am Ende der Vorderseitenumschrift und MONE · am Ende der Rückseitenumschrift. RR Hübsche Patina, kl. Schrötlingsfehler, vorzüglich. (France, Alsace, abbey of Murbach and Lüders, Leopold of Austria as administrator, 1614-26, undated quarter thaler, circa 1623-32, Ensisheim mint. With "PASS : E :" at the end of the obverse legend and "MONE ·" at the reverse legend. Very rare, handsome patina, extremely fine.)"
Leopold V (1586-1632) was bishop of Passau and Strasbourg and administrator of the abbey of Murbach. He controlled the Hapsburg mint at Ensisheim and issued numerous coins from there. He resigned his dioceses in 1626 to become archduke of Tyrol and issued more coins from the Hall mint. This type is attributed to 1614-26 by Numista, which also shows the coin in klippe format (N#193978). Dating Leopold's coins is tricky as many were issued posthumously by his wife, Claudia de' Medici. The region has been part of France since the Thirty Years War.
Recorded mintage: unknown but rare.
Specifications: silver, this specimen 7,91 g.
Catalog reference: KM 8, Divo 78 ff var.; Kellner 220 var. (listed under the city of Gebweiler).
- Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
- Craig, William D., Germanic Coinages: Charlemagne through Wilhelm II, Mountain View, CA: 1954.
- [1]Künker, Fritz Rudolf, Horst-Rudiger Künker, Ulrich Künker and Andreas Kaiser, Katalog 425: Gold coins from the Medieval and Modern Times, from the Mohr family collection, e.g. | Silver coins, e.g. highlights of medallic art | German coins after 1871, Osnabrück: Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co., AG, 2025.
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