Prussia 1738-EGN wilhelms d'or Fr-2363
The first specimen was lot 6502 in Künker sale 336 (Osnabrück, Germany, March 2020), where it sold for €9,500 (about US$12,432 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"BRANDENBURG-PREUSSEN, PREUSSEN, KÖNIGREICH, Friedrich Wilhelm I. der Soldatenkönig, 1713-1740. Wilhelms d'or 1738, EGN, Berlin. Geharnischtes Brustbild r. mit umgelegtem Mantel und Ordensband//Vier gekrönte Monogramme ins Kreuz gestellt, in der Mitte Adlerschild, unten die Signatur * E · G · N · (Ernst Georg Neubauer, Münzmeister in Berlin 1725-1749) und die Jahreszahl 1738 f. GOLD. RR Sehr attraktives Exemplar mit Resten von Prägeglanz, vorzüglich. (Germany, kingdom of Prussia, Frederick William I, 1713-40, william d'or of 1738, Berlin mint. Obverse: armored and mantled bust right; reverse: four crowned monograms in a cross, shield in the center and date. Rare, attractive example with mint luster, extremely fine.)
Der preußische Wilhelms d'or wurde von Friedrich Wilhelm I. eingeführt und nach ihm benannt. Er fällt etwas aus der Reihe der Pistolen heraus. Während normalerweise die 5-Taler-Stücke in Gold als Louis d'or, Max d'or und auch später in Preußen als Friedrichs d'or bezeichnet wurden, wurde hier das Doppelstück, also die 10-Taler-Goldmünze nach dem Namensgeber benannt. (The Prussian Wilhelms d'or was introduced by Friedrich Wilhelm I and named after him. It falls into the category of pistoles. While the five thaler pieces in gold were usually referred to as Louis d'or, Max d'or and later also in Prussia as Friedrichs d'or, the double piece, i.e. the ten thaler gold coin, was always called the Wilhelms d'or.)"
The second specimen was lot 6066 in Künker sale 386 (Osnabrück, March 2023), where it sold for €3,600 (about US$4,652 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[2] noted,
"BRANDENBURG-PREUSSEN, PREUSSEN, KÖNIGREICH, Friedrich Wilhelm I. der Soldatenkönig, 1713-1740. Wilhelms d'or 1738, EGN, Berlin. GOLD. RR Sehr schön. (kingdom of Prussia, Frederick William, the Soldier King, 1713-40, gold william of 1738, Berlin mint. Very rare, very fine.)"
The SCWC reports the weight of this issue as 6.68 g with the accompanying half wilhelms d'or as 3.34 g. This does not match the weight reported for this specimen or the photo in the SCWC, which matches the size of the later doppelter freidrichs d'or at 13.36 g. This type was struck with variations 1737-40 and is rare. The specimen shown here is the second type with the monograms on the reverse appearing as "FW". See the 1737 issue (KM 219) for the first type.
Recorded mintage: 5,021 for 1737-40.
Specification: 13.36 g, 0.903 fine gold, the first specimen 13.41 g, the second specimen 13.37 g.
Catalog reference: KM 220, Fr-2363; v. Schr. 184; Olding 334.
- 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]Künker Münzauktionen und Goldhandel, Catalog 336: Gold coins from all over the World|German Coins after 1871. Osnabrück: Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co., AG, 2020.
- [2]Künker, Fritz Rudolf, Horst-Rudiger Künker, Ulrich Künker and Andreas Kaiser, Katalog 386: Brakteaten | Mainz | Bibliothek Prof. Dr. Niklot Klüßendorf | Mittelalter und Neuzeit | Goldprägungen | Deutsche Münzen ab 1871, Osnabrück: Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co., AG, 2023.
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