Prussia 1848-A thaler Dav-770
This specimen was lot 4110 in Künker sale 353 (Osnabrück, Germany, September 2021), where it sold for €95 (about US$132 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"BRANDENBURG-PREUSSEN, PREUSSEN, KÖNIGREICH, Friedrich Wilhelm IV. 1840-1861. Taler 1848, A. Ausbeute. Sehr schön. Erworben am 24.1.1967 von Karl-Ludwig Grabow, Berlin. Erbstück aus der väterlichen Sammlung. Bei dem vorliegenden Talertyp befindet sich ab 1847 kein Punkt mehr hinter THALER. (Germany, kingdom of Prussia, Frederick William IV, 1840-61, thaler of 1848, for the mines. Very fine. Heirloom from his father's collection. After 1847 there is no longer a dot after THALER.)"
This specimen is one of a type struck at the Berlin mint 1847-52, during the reign of Friedrich Wilhelm IV (1840-61). It is scarce. Simultaneous with this mining thaler was struck a "shield thaler" with a different reverse (Dav-769). In 1871, with the successful conclusion of the Franco-Prussian War, king Wilhelm assumed the title of Emperor of Germany. The currency was reformed to use pfennig and marks and the thaler was dropped, tho it remained legal tender at three mark.
Recorded mintage: 50,000.
Specification: 22.27 g, 0.750 fine silver, 34 mm diameter, lettered edge, this specimen 22,14 g.
Catalog reference: KM 455, Dav-770; AKS 75; Dav-770; Kahnt 376; Thun 257; Olding 308.
- 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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