Prussia 1744-AE friedrichs d'or Fr-2376
This specimen was lot 3336 in Künker sale 353 (Osnabrück, Germany, September 2021), where it sold for €13,000 (about US$18,092 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"BRANDENBURG-PREUSSEN, PREUSSEN, KÖNIGREICH, Friedrich II. der Große, 1740-1786. Friedrichs d'or 1744, AE, Breslau. Mit großem Brustbild und FRIEDERICUS am Anfang der Vorderseitenumschrift. Geharnischtes Brustbild r. mit umgelegtem Mantel und Ordensband//Vier gekrönte Doppelmonogramme ins Kreuz gestellt, in den Winkeln je ein Adler, in der Mitte Kreis mit Monogramm FR, unten die geteilte Jahreszahl 17 - 44 und die geteilte Signatur A - E (Adam Heinrich von Ehrenberg, Münzmeister in Breslau 1743-1751). GOLD. Sehr selten in dieser Erhaltung. Prachtexemplar mit herrlicher Goldtönung. Vorzüglich-Stempelglanz. Exemplar der Auktion Schweizerischer Bankverein 15, Basel 1986, Nr. 327 und der Slg. Dr. Busso Peus Nachf. 357, Frankfurt/Main 1998, Nr. 2571. (Germany, kingdom of Prussia, Frederick II the Great, 1740-86, frederick d'or of 1744, Breslau mint, with large bust and FRIEDERICUS at the beginning of the obverse legend. Obverse: armored and mantled bust with order sash; reverse: four crowned monogram F's cantonned with four eagles and a central circle with the monogram FR, date and initials below. Very scarce in this quality, choice example with handsome gold toning, extremely fine to uncirculated.)"
Altho Frederick began his reign by minting ducats, in 1741 he switched to friedrichs d'or, a renamed version of the Wilhelm d'or minted by his father. This rare type was struck at Frederick's mint in Breslau, which he had seized from the Austrians a few years before in the War of the Austrian Succession. It is listed for 1744-48.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 6.68 g, 0.903 fine gold, this specimen 6.55 g.
Catalog reference: KM 909 (listed under Silesia), Fr-2376; Olding 389 a; Kluge 8.1.
- Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
- 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]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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