Prussia 1750-A 1/2 friedrichs d'or Fr-2397
This specimen was lot 95 in Sincona sale 46 (Zürich, May 2018), where it sold for 3,600 CHF (about US$4,320 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"Brandenburg/Prussia, Friedrich II. 1740-1786. 1/2 Friedrichs dor 1750 A, Berlin. Nackte Büste mit Stirnreif nach rechts. Rv. Gekröntes Doppelmonogramm, oben die geteilte Jahreszahl 17 - 50, unten Münzzeichen A. Sehr seltener Typ. Sehr schön. (Germany, kingdom of Prussia, Frederick II, 1740-86, half frederick d'or of 1750, Berlin mint. Bare bust with headband to right; reverse: crowned double monogram divides the date, mintmark below. Very rare type, Very fine.)"
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. The early issues are rare but the coin later came to be quite common and was imitated by other North German states as a five thaler gold coin. This rare half friedrichs d'or was worth 2½ thalers. In 1750, the mints were reorganized and the mintmaster's initials dropped in favor of mintmarks (A = Berlin, B = Breslau, C = Cleve, D = Aurich, E = Konigsberg, F = Magdeburg and G = Stettin).
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 3.34 g, 0.903 fine gold, this specimen 3.28 g.
Catalog reference: Olding 403. Kluge 48. Fr-2397, KM 258.
- 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]Richter, Jürg, Auction 46, Gold Coins and Medals, Zürich: Sincona AG, 2018.
- Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
Link to:
- 1749-CHI halb friedrichs d'or
- 1749-ALS friedrichs d'or
- 1749-W AHE friedrichs d'or, Breslau mint
- 1749-ALS doppelter friedrichs d'or
- 1749-W AHE doppelter friedrichs d'or, Breslau mint
- 1750-AHE 2 groschel
- 1750-B 1/48 thaler
- 1750-B 1/12 thaler
- 1750-A 1/6 thaler
- 1750-B 1/6 thaler
- 1750-A quarter thaler
- 1750-A half thaler
- 1750-A thaler
- 1750-B thaler
- 1750-A halb friedrichs d'or, uniformed bust
- 1750-A friedrichs d'or, bare bust
- 1750-A friedrichs d'or, uniformed bust
- 1750-B friedrichs d'or, uniformed bust
- 1750-A doppelter friedrichs d'or, uniformed bust
- Coins and currency dated 1750
- return to coins of German States, Prussia