Prussia 1743-W AHE 3 kreuzer
This specimen was lot 3739 in Künker sale 353 (Osnabrück, Germany, September 2021), where it sold for €340 (about US$473 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"BRANDENBURG-PREUSSEN, PREUSSEN, KÖNIGREICH, Friedrich II. der Große, 1740-1786. 3 Kreuzer 1743, W-AHE, Breslau. Prägung für die Provinz Schlesien. Mit "W" (= Wratislawia) unter dem Schild. Kl. Schrötlingsfehler, fast Stempelglanz. Erworben am 24.9.1978. (Germany, kingdom of Prussia, Frederick II the Great, 1740-86, three kreuzer of 1743, Breslau mint, struck for the province of Silesia, with initial "W" under the shield. Minor planchet flaws, about uncirculated.)"
After Frederick the Great seized Silesia in 1742, he issued kreuzer denominated coinage for the province which did not directly convert into the thaler-based coinage used in the rest of the realm. One, three, six, 15 and 18 kreuzer were issued along with one and two groschel pieces. This one year type is rare. The last three kreuzer piece was struck in 1786.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: billon, this specimen 1,73 g.
Catalog reference: KM 891 (listed under Silesia), Olding 302; Kluge 300.
- Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
- [1]Künker, Fritz Rudolf, Horst-Rudiger Künker, Ulrich Künker and Andreas Kaiser, Künker Auktion 353: Die Sammlung Axel Tesmer, Teil 2: Prägungen der Könige von Preussen von der Kroning 1701 bis zum Ende der Monarchie. Osnabrück: Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co., AG, 2021.
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