Prussia 1591 ducat Fr-315
This specimen was lot 102 in Künker sale 400 (Berlin, February 2024), where it sold for €8,000 (about US$10,379 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"PREUSSEN, KÖNIGREICH, Georg Friedrich, Administrator, 1569-1603. Dukat 1591, Königsberg. In US-Plastikholder der NGC mit der Bewertung MS 62 (5982288-010). GOLD. Prachtexemplar. Vorzüglich-Stempelglanz. (Germany, kingdom of Prussia, George Frederick, administrator, 1569-1603, ducat of 1591, Königsberg mint. Graded MGC MS62, choice example, extremely fine to uncirculated.)"
Prussia, long a part of the domain of the Teutonic Order, was one of the first states to convert to Lutheranism. The grand master, himself a Lutheran, declared himself duke of Prussia and made the duchy hereditary in his family. His son, Albert Frederick, succeeded to the title in 1568 but was placed under regency in 1572 for the remainder of his reign. Despite this, he managed to get married and have eight children altho none of his sons survived him. At his death, the duchy passed to his son-in-law John Sigismund, Margrave of Brandenburg, combining the two territories under a single dynasty and forming Brandenburg-Prussia. The figure shown on this coin is George Frederick, regent 1569-1603 and father to the aforementioned John Sigismund. This type is listed for 1587-97.
Recorded mintage: 3,456.
Specification: 3.48 g, 0.979 fine gold.
Catalog reference: KM MB22, Fr-315; Neumann 54; v. Schr. 1262; Kopicki 3856 (R7).
- 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.
- Nicol, N. Douglas, Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of German Coins, 1501-Present, 3rd ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2011.
- [1]Künker, Fritz Rudolf, Horst-Rudiger Künker, Ulrich Künker and Andreas Kaiser, Katalog 400: Selected löser of the Dukes of Guelph from the Friedrich Popken Collection | Numismatic treasures from the Medieval and Modern Times, a. o. "multiple portraits" from a Westphalian private collection, Osnabrück: Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co., AG, 2024.
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