Prussia 1871-A 20 mark
This specimen was lot 272 in Sincona sale 46 (Zürich, May 2018), where it sold for 400 CHF (about US$480 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"Preussen, Königreich, Wilhelm I. 1861-1888. 20 Mark 1871 A, Berlin. Fast vorzüglich. (Germany, kingdom of Prussia, William I, 1861-88, twenty mark of 1871, Berlin mint. About extremely fine.)"
This type was struck 1871-73 in substantial numbers from the Berlin (mintmark "A"), Hanover (mintmark "B") and Frankfurt (mintmark "C") mints during the reign of William I, emperor of Germany 1871-88. It was superseded in 1874 by a revised reverse. Tho this later type was struck 1874-88, it is not as common as the type shown here. There is a concurrent ten mark gold piece (Fr-3819) with a similar design. After the unification of Germany in 1871, the previously independent states were permitted to mint coins of a face value of two mark and up while the smaller coinage was struck to a uniform design.
Recorded mintage: 502,462, including proofs.
Specification: 7.96 g, 0.900 fine gold, this specimen 7.91 g.
Catalog reference: J. 243A, Fr-3813; KM 501.
- 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.
- Jaeger, Kurt, Die Deutschen Münzen seit 1871, Basel: Münzen und Medaillen AG, 1982.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Richter, Jürg, Auction 46, Gold Coins and Medals, Zürich: Sincona AG, 2018.
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