Poland 1529-CN ducat Fr-70
This specimen was lot 24001 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2023), where it sold for $240,000. The catalog description[1] noted,
"Mint State Krakow Ducat of Sigismund I, Amongst the Earliest of Poland's Coinage, POLAND. Ducat, 1529-C N. Krakow Mint. Sigismund I. PCGS MS-61. Obverse: Crowned bust of Sigismund I right; Reverse: Crowned arms of Poland. Sitting as one of the earliest issuances of gold coinage from the Kingdom of Poland, this Ducat of Sigismund I stands aloft in an exalted place amongst the pantheon of Polish numismatics. Produced in 1529, this piece is only predated in issuance by a Ducat dated 1528 bearing the same design. In our research, we have found no examples of this date offered since 2000, making it a virtually unheralded piece in Polish coin cabinets, with opportunities to acquire an example being severely limited.
The present Ducat boasts an as made appearance, with no evidence of wear on even the highest elements of the design. Some strike weakness is seen, particularly on the reverse, but this does not impinge upon the overall beauty of the specimen. A rich and verbose golden luster percolates through the surfaces, rippling with immense charm and appeal. A SUPREMELY RARE treasure of Poland's past, and a piece that should not be missed by any specialist in Polish hammered gold. From the Anthony J. Taraszka Collection."
This type is listed in Friedberg for 1528-48.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 3.5 g, 0.986 fine gold, this specimen 3.45 g.
Catalog reference: Fr-70; H-CZ-292 (R6); Kop-447 (R6); Kur-82 (R8); Gum-581.
- Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, The January 2023 NYINC Auction: Ancient Coins, World Coins & Paper Money, featuring the Taraszka Collection and the Mark and Dottie Salton Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2022.
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