Saxony 1596-HB 1/2 thaler KM-MB319
This specimen was lot 4403 in Künker sale 441 (Osnabrück, March 2026), where it sold for €190 (about US$261 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"SACHSEN, KURFÜRSTENTUM Christian II., Johann Georg I. und August, 1591-1611. 1/2 Reichstaler 1596, Dresden. Hübsche Patina, sehr schön. (electorate of Saxony, Christian II, John George I and August, 1591-1611, half thaler of 1596, Dresden mint. Handsome patina, very fine.)"
This type was struck in 1592-1601 for dukes Christian II, Johann Georg and August of Saxony. The SCWC notes that this type was struck by the regent Friedrich Wilhelm von Saxe-Altenburg on behalf of the three young brothers shown on the obverse. The coin is common for the era. Another half thaler exists for the 1590's with conventional baroque arms on the reverse (KM MB318).
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 14.5 g, silver, this specimen 14,32 g.
Catalog reference: KM MB319, Keilitz/Kahnt 198.
- Craig, William D., Germanic Coinages: Charlemagne through Wilhelm II, Mountain View, CA: 1954.
- Nicol, N. Douglas, Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of German Coins, 1501-Present, 3rd ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2011.
- [1]Künker, Fritz Rudolf, Horst-Rudiger Künker, Ulrich Künker and Andreas Kaiser, Frühjahrs-Auktion 441: Orders and Decorations from the Estate of Wilhelm, Duke of Bavaria (1752–1837), among others | Coins and Medals from the Middle Ages and Modern times, particularly Denmark, Habsburg, Norway, and Saxony, Osnabrück: Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co., AG, 2026.
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