Salzburg 1611/1559-M 1/2 ducat Fr-697
This specimen was lot 43034 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2026), where it sold for $4,080. The catalog description[1] noted,
"AUSTRIA. Salzburg. 1/2 Ducat Mule Klippe, "1559/1611" (1611). Salzburg Mint. Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau. NGC MS-63. Obverse: Four coats of arms, "W-T" (Wolf Dietrich) at top, "611" date below; Reverse: Two coats of arms, "1559" date at top, "M" (Michael von Küenburg) below. An intriguing issue bearing two dates, the reverse die that of a Rechenpfennig Klippe of 1559. Interestingly, this particular die was apparently preserved and reused over the years, and we are able to find die matches with a uniface silver 1559 Rechenpfennig Klippe, as well as a similar dual-dated silver 1559/1576 Rechenpfennig. These would also appear to have been struck chronologically rather than as a later fantasy; the die on the present piece is a later die state than the uniface or 1576 type, with a small die crack emerging from the cross above the date. Very elusive in this Choice preservation and nicely struck, with bold detail upon either side and fresh, bright luster throughout. Perhaps the finest example of this engaging RARITY that one could hope to acquire."
A silver reichenpfennig (Probszt-907) was also struck with these dies. Neither are mentioned in the SCWC.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 1.75 g, gold.
Catalog reference: Fr-697; Probszt-903.
- Craig, William D., Germanic Coinages: Charlemagne through Wilhelm II, Mountain View, CA: 1954.
- Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
- 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.
- Helmut Zöttl, Salzburg Münzen und Medaillen, 1500-1810, 2 vols. Salzburg: Verlag Fruhwald, 2008.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, January 2026 NYINC Showcase Auction, Ancient and World Coins, featuring the Kazmier Wysocki Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2025.
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