Prussia 1771-B groschel
This specimen was lot 3767 in Künker sale 353 (Osnabrück, Germany, September 2021), where it sold for €170 (about US$237 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"BRANDENBURG-PREUSSEN, PREUSSEN, KÖNIGREICH, Friedrich II. der Große, 1740-1786. Gröschel 1771, B, Breslau. Prägung für die Provinz Schlesien. Mit dem Münzstättenzeichen auf der Vorderseite und die Jahreszahl auf der Rückseite. Sehr schön-vorzüglich. Exemplar der Auktion Möller 14, Kassel 1994, Nr. 1327. (Germany, kingdom of Prussia, Frederick II the Great, 1740-86, groschel of 1771, Breslau mint, struck for the province of Silesia, with the mintmark on the obverse and the date on the reverse. Very fine to extremely 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 1771-86 in substantial quantities and probably also circulated in Poland.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: billon, this specimen is 0,68 g.
Catalog reference: KM 1014b (listed under Silesia), Olding 328; Kluge 315.2.
- 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.
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