Prussia 1756-B 18 kreuzer KM-990

From CoinVarieties
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Künker sale 353, lot 3731

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.

Source:

  • 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: