Poland 1766-FS ducat Fr-101

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Stack's Bowers 2023 NYINC sale, lot 24026
SB0123-24026r.jpg

This specimen was lot 24026 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2023), where it sold for $72,000. The catalog description[1] noted,

"Supremely Rare Unadopted Ducat of Stanislaus Augustus, POLAND. Ducat, 1766-FS. Warsaw Mint. Stanislaus Augustus. PCGS MS-62. Obverse: Crowned SAR monogram inside of a radiant star of the Stanislaus Order; Reverse: Crowned coat of arms of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth with king's shield in the center, F S in small letters framed below. Among the most famous of all Polish gold coins, this one-year Ducat features as a dream coin for nearly every Polish coin collector. Produced at the Warsaw Mint as a pattern for proposed Ducat coinage of Stanislaw August, this design was never taken up for general circulation however, leaving the originals and potentially a few copies struck specifically for collectors. Certainly, no more than 25 survive, with perhaps even fewer than that extant. This RARITY is supported by the infrequent nature in which the type is offered, as we were able to locate no more recent record than a 2014 sale. This Ducat also maintains a tremendous luster, with deep reflectivity to the surfaces, and a prooflike appearance. Only the slightest wisps of friction are noted, and even these are so minuscule as to hardly be worth discussing. An absolutely phenomenal golden offering from near the end of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth! From the Anthony J. Taraszka Collection. Ex. Triton IV (12/2000) Lot #2462."

Several ducats were minted in Poland in 1766. One (KM 189) bears the bust of the king and another shows the robed and armored king standing (KM 190). All are rare but this one is the most expensive. Wikipedia comments,

"Stanisław II August (born Stanisław Antoni Poniatowski, 17 January 1732 – 12 February 1798), known also by his regal Latin name Stanislaus II Augustus, was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1764 to 1795, and the last monarch of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Born into wealthy Polish aristocracy, Poniatowski arrived as a diplomat at the Russian imperial court in Saint Petersburg in 1755 at the age of 22 and became intimately involved with the future empress Catherine the Great. With her connivance, he was elected King of Poland by the Polish Diet in September 1764 following the death of Augustus III. Contrary to expectations, Poniatowski attempted to reform and strengthen the large but ailing Commonwealth. His efforts were met with external opposition from neighbouring Prussia, Russia and Austria, all committed to keeping the Commonwealth weak. From within he was opposed by conservative interests, which saw the reforms as a threat to their traditional liberties and privileges granted centuries earlier."

Recorded mintage: 7,982.

Specification: 3.5 g, 0.986 fine gold.

Catalog reference: Fr-101; KM 188, H-Cz-3055; Kop-2494 (R6); Kur-311 (R6); Gum-2242.

Sources:

  • 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.
  • Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
  • [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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