Salzburg 1765 2 ducats Fr-871
This specimen was lot 922 in Sincona Auction 103 (Zürich, May 2026), where it sold for 2,250 CHF (about US$3,429 including buyers' fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"RDR / ÖSTERREICH Salzburg, Erzbistum, Sigismund von Schrattenbach, 1753-1771. 2 Dukaten 1765, Salzburg. Selten in dieser Erhaltung. NGC MS62. Das durch NGC höchstbewertete Exemplar. (Austria, archbishopric of Salzburg, Sigismund von Schrattenbach, 1753-71, double ducat of 1765, Salzburg mintRare in this condition, Finest certified by NGC.)"
This type was struck 1765-71 and is not rare tho expensive like most multiple ducats. The archbishopric was secularized in 1803 and passed to Austria in 1814. Künker[2] commented,
"Sigismund von Schrattenbach, born in 1698, came from the Styrian branch of his family. He, the previous cathedral dean, who was by no means the most capable, even if he brought the best of intentions with him, won the election on the 13th day of the balloting. Through his intense monastic piety he aroused the displeasure of those who were already inclined towards the awakening Enlightenment. He prayed the rosary with his court for hours. In Salzburg he founded a penitentiary and workhouse as well as two orphanages. He also promoted mining, which experienced a faint resurgence under him. However, Sigismund could not resolve the serious financial crisis in which his state found itself. The budget was additionally burdened by a contribution of 18,000 guilders to the Austrian costs of the Seven Years' War and by a lump-sum compensation of 30,000 guilders for emigrant assets, on which Prussia insisted. He enriched the cityscape with two unique works: the Sigismundtor (Neutor), a bold technical feat because it pierced the Mönchsberg, and the statue of the Virgin Mary on the Domplatz. As a great lover of the theatre, he also encouraged the young Mozart, for whom he made his first trip to Italy possible and laid the foundation for his career. On December 16, 1771, the Archbishop died of a kidney hemorrhage."
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 7.0 g, 0.986 fine gold.
Catalog reference: KM 412, Zöttl 2895 (Typ 3a). Fr-871.
- 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, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
- [1]Richter, Jürg, Michael Hardmeier, Michael Otto, Arne Kirsch, Ruedi Kunzmann and Timur Demirai, SINCONA Auction 103: World and Swiss coins and medals, Zürich: SINCONA AG, 2026.
- Helmut Zöttl, Salzburg Münzen und Medaillen, 1500-1810, 2 vols. Salzburg: Verlag Fruhwald, 2008.
- [2]Künker, Fritz Rudolf, Horst-Rudiger Künker, Ulrich Künker and Andreas Kaiser, Katalog 384: Münzen, Medaillen und Marken von Salzburg - Die Sammlung Professor Dr. Franz Schedel, Osnabrück: Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co., AG, 2023.
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