Prussia 1756-B 18 kreuzer KM-990
This specimen was lot 3731 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. 18 Kreuzer 1756, B, Breslau. Prägung für die Provinz Schlesien. Sächsisch-polnischer Typ. R Sehr schön. (Germany, kingdom of Prussia, Frederick II the Great, 1740-86, eighteen kreuzer of 1756, Breslau mint, struck for the province of Silesia, Saxon-Polish type. Rare, very fine.)"
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 type was struck 1755-56 and features the bust of Augustus, elector of Saxony and king of Poland. While this verges on state-sponsored counterfeiting, the anarchy reigning in Poland gave Frederick effective impunity to circulate the coin. Another 18 kreuzer struck in 1756 (KM 969.2) has a more typical bust of Frederick. This is the scarcer of the two.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: silver, this specimen 5,74 g.
Catalog reference: KM 990 (listed under Silesia), Olding 295; Kluge 295.2.
- 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.
Link to:
- 1755-B 6 kreuzer, crowned bust
- 1755-E 6 groscher, armored bust
- 1755-E 6 groscher, crowned bust
- 1755-W E 6 groscher
- 1755-B 18 kreuzer, crowned bust
- 1755-B 18 kreuzer, crowned bust with sword
- 1755-B 18 groscher
- 1755-B 1/12 thaler
- 1755-E 18 groscher, crowned bust
- 1755-B friedrichs d'or, uniformed bust
- Prussia 1756-B kreuzer struck in gold
- 1756-B groschel
- Prussia 1756-D mariengroschen, struck in gold
- 1756-D 4 mariengroschen, struck in gold
- 1756-A E 6 groscher, armored bust
- 1756-E 6 groscher, armored bust
- 1756-S E 6 groscher, armored bust
- 1756-E 6 groscher, crowned bust
- 1756-A 8 gute groschen
- 1756-D 8 gute groschen
- 1756-A E 18 groscher
- 1756-A 1/48 thaler
- 1756-A 1/24 thaler
- 1756-F 1/24 thaler
- 1756-A 1/6 thaler
- 1756-C 1/6 thaler
- 1756-F 1/6 thaler
- 1756-B 18 kreuzer, crowned bust with sword
- 1756-A halb friedrichs d’or, uniformed bust
- 1756-B friedrichs d’or, uniformed bust
- 1756-A friedrichs d'or, bare bust
- 1757-D 4 mariengroschen
- 1757-C 6 groscher
- 1757-E 6 groscher
- 1757-A 18 groscher, armored bust
- 1808-G 18 kreuzer Glatz mint
- Coins and currency dated 1756