Prussia 1853-A 1/2 friedrichs d'or Fr-2436
This specimen was lot 32621 in Heritage sale 3089 (Dallas, TX, January 2021), where it sold for $4,560. The catalog description[1] noted, "Germany. Prussia. Friedrich Wilhelm IV gold 1/2 Frederick d'Or 1853-A MS61 NGC, Berlin mint. A beautiful gold type in any condition, owing largely to its iconic reverse eagle motif, and one which escalates rapidly in rarity at the Mint State level. Presently the only example we have handled, and the sole representative of the date at NGC." The last friedrichs d'or was struck in 1855 (KM 469) and was replaced by the gold half krone (KM 493, struck 1861-69), which contained about 70/83 of the gold in the previous denomination. The gold krone was in turn superseded by the gold twenty mark of the German Empire. This scarce issue is listed for 1853 only.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 3.34 g, 0.903 fine gold.
Catalog reference: KM 468, J-114, D&S-169.
- Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- Craig, William D., Germanic Coinages: Charlemagne through Wilhelm II, Mountain View, CA: 1954.
- [1]Cristiano Bierrenbach and Warren Tucker, Heritage World Coin Auction 3064, featuring the Doug Robins Collection of Canadian Tokens, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2018.
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