Prussia 1877-A 20 mark
This specimen was lot 42356 in Stack's Bowers Summer 2026 Global Showcase Auction (Pittsburgh, September 2026), where it sold for $1,830. The catalog description[1] noted, "GERMANY. Prussia. 20 Mark, 1877-A. Berlin Mint. Wilhelm I. PCGS MS-64. Tied with just one other for the top spot in the PCGS census, this near-Gem provides great eye appeal through its glistening straw yellow hue and dazzling luster." The first twenty mark was struck 1872-73 in substantial numbers from the Berlin (mintmark "A", shown here), Hannover (mintmark "B") and Frankfurt (mintmark "C") mints. It was superseded in 1874 by this type with a revised reverse. Tho this later type was struck 1874-88, it is not as common as KM 502. There is a concurrent ten mark gold piece with a similar design.
Recorded mintage: 1,250,306, a common date.
Specification: 7.96 g, 0.900 fine gold, 22.5 mm diameter, lettered edge.
Catalog reference: Fr-3816; KM-505; J-246.
- Craig, William D., Germanic Coinages: Charlemagne through Wilhelm II, Mountain View, CA: 1954.
- 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]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, Summer 2026 Global Showcase Auction, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2026.
Link to:
- 1875-A 20 mark
- 1877-A pfennig
- 1877-A 2 pfennig
- 1877-B 2 pfennig
- 1877-F 20 pfennig
- 1877-A 50 pfennig
- 1877-B 50 pfennig
- 1877-C 50 pfennig
- 1877-E 50 pfennig
- 1877-F 50 pfennig
- 1877-J 50 pfennig
- 1877-A mark
- Hamburg 1877-J 20 mark
- 1877-A 2 mark
- 1877-B 2 mark
- 1877-A gold 5 mark
- 1877-B gold 5 mark
- 1877-C gold 5 mark
- 1877-C 10 mark
- 1878-C 20 mark
- Coins and currency dated 1877