Nassau 1681 thaler Dav-7098
This specimen was lot 42288 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2026), where it sold for $10,800. The catalog description[1] noted, "Elusive Taler with a Whimsical "Swim Trunks" Nickname, GERMANY. Nassau. "Swim Trunks" Taler, 1681. Herborn Mint. Johann Franz, Heinrich, Wilhelm Moritz, Heinrich Casimir & Franz Alexander. NGC MS-62. A fairly SCARCE and impressive example, this nearly-Choice crown garners its name (Badehosentaler in German) on account of the rather tight-fitting below-the-belt fashion sported by the various princes of Nassau. The finest of just three observed in the NGC census, and the only such Mint State specimen, this example offers a charming strike along with alluring gunmetal gray toning and elegant brilliance remaining among the fields." A rare one year type from a state which issued very little coinage in the seventeenth century. The counts of Nassau went thru many divisions, such as Nassau-Dillenburg, Nassau-Usingen, Nassau-Dietz and Nassau-Weilburg but this seems to be a joint issue. The dynasty today sits on the thrones of Luxembourg and the Netherlands.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: silver, 44 mm diameter.
Catalog reference: Dav-7098; KM-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.
- Davenport, John S., German Secular Talers, 1600-1700, Frankfurt: Numismatischer Verlag, 1976.
- [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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