Prussia 1822-D thaler Dav-759
This specimen was lot 4008 in Künker sale 353 (Osnabrück, Germany, September 2021), where it sold for €300 (about US$418 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"BRANDENBURG-PREUSSEN, PREUSSEN, KÖNIGREICH, Friedrich Wilhelm III. 1797-1840. Die Münzstätte Düsseldorf. Taler 1822, D. Sehr seltener Jahrgang. Sehr schön-vorzüglich. (Germany, kingdom of Prussia, Frederick William III, 1797-1840, thaler of 1822, Düsseldorf mint. Very scarce date, very fine to extremely fine.)"
The production of minor coinage ceased after 1818 as mint officials debated a monetary reform. During 1819-20, the only coinage minted was silver thalers and gold friedrichs d'or. In 1821, the regime introduced a new system, with one thaler = 30 groschen and one groschen = 12 pfennig. The old provincial coinage was abolished along with the medieval system where coins varied in value in different parts of the realm. New or reformed denominations were struck including one pfennig, two pfennig, three pfennig, four pfennig, half silbergroschen and one silbergroschen. The sixth thaler was added in 1822 and the half and double friedrichs d'or resumed in 1825. This system obtained until German unification in 1871. We don't know why authorities didn't go all the way and introduce a decimal system but neither did any other German state in this period.
Recorded mintage: 178,754, a scarce date.
Specification: 22.27 g, 0.750 fine silver, this specimen 22.14 g.
Catalog reference: KM 396, AKS 13; Dav-759; Kahnt 365; Thun 246 D; Olding 124.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- Davenport, John S., European Crowns and Talers, Since 1800, 2nd Ed., London: Spink & Son, 1964.
- [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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