Prussia 1760-A 1/48 thaler

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Künker sale 353, lot 3787

This specimen was lot 3787 in Künker sale 353 (Osnabrück, Germany, September 2021), where it sold for €320 (about US$445 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,

"BRANDENBURG-PREUSSEN, PREUSSEN, KÖNIGREICH, Friedrich II. der Große, 1740-1786. 1/48 Taler 1760, A, Berlin. Prägung während des Siebenjährigen Krieges. Von großer Seltenheit. Sehr schön. Erworben im Dezember 1989 von Fritz Rudolf Künker, Osnabrück. (Germany, kingdom of Prussia, Frederick II the Great, 1740-86, 1/48 thaler of 1760, Berlin mint, struck during the Seven Years War. Extremely rare, very fine.)"

Four dates exist for this type 1753, 1756, 1760 (supposedly without mintmark) and 1763. This coin was struck during the darkest months of the Seven Years' War, when all of Frederick's military genius could not prevent the encirclement of Prussia by the Austrians and the Russians. Only the empress Elizabeth's death in 1762, withdrawing Russia from the war, broke the stranglehold. Frederick was happy to make peace in 1763 based on the status quo ante bellum.

Recorded mintage: unknown.

Specification: 1.43 g, 0.219 fine silver, this specimen is 1,44 g.

Catalog reference: KM 275, Olding 346; Kluge 354.1.

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.

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