Prussia 1839-A 1/6 thaler

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Künker sale 353, lot 4066

This specimen was lot 4066 in Künker sale 353 (Osnabrück, Germany, September 2021), where it sold for €240 (about US$334 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,

"BRANDENBURG-PREUSSEN, PREUSSEN, KÖNIGREICH, Friedrich Wilhelm III. 1797-1840. 1/6 Taler 1839, A. Seltener Jahrgang. Fast Stempelglanz. Exemplar der Auktion Möller 24, Kassel 1999, Nr. 849. Bei dem vorliegenden Münztyp befinden sich ab 1835 keine Punkte mehr hinter LXXXIV und VI. (Germany, kingdom of Prussia, Frederick William III, 1797-1840, one sixth thaler of 1839. Rare date, about uncirculated. From 1835 onwards, there are no more dots after the LXXXIV and VI on this type.)"

In 1821, the regime introduced a monetary reform, 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 (shown here) 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: 577,781, a common date per the SCWC.

Specification: 5.35 g, 0.531 fine silver, this specimen 5.33 g.

Catalog reference: KM 411, AKS 26; J. 58 b; Olding 185 b.

Source:

  • Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
  • [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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