Saxony 1657 2 ducats Fr-2719
This specimen was lot 2096 in Künker sale 352 (Osnabrück, Germany, September 2021), where it sold for €1,800 (about US$2,505 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"SACHSEN, KURFÜRSTENTUM, Johann Georg II. 1656-1680. 2 Dukaten 1657, Dresden, auf das Vikariat. GOLD. Fassungsspuren, Felder geglättet, sehr schön. (Germany, electorate of Saxony, John George II, 1656-80, double ducat of 1657, Dresden mint, on the vicariat. Mount mark, fields tooled, very fine.)"
Saxony, one of the larger divisions of Germany and blessed with numerous silver mines, issued large numbers of thalers. This type was issued 1657 only to commemorate the death of the emperor Ferdinand III. The elector also issued a quarter thaler (KM 457), a half thaler (KM 458), a single thaler (Dav-7630), a double thaler (Dav-LS398), a triple thaler (Dav-LS397), a quadruple thaler (Dav-LS396), a single ducat (KM 463), a double ducat (shown here), a triple ducat (KM 465), 4 ducat (KM 466), 5 ducat (KM 467), 6 ducat (KM 468), 8 ducat (KM 469) and a 10 ducat (KM 470) on this occasion. We may assume he thought it was a big deal.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 6.98 g, 0.986 fine gold, this specimen 7,92 g.
Catalog reference: KM 464, Fr-2719; Clauß/Kahnt 478.
- 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.
- [1]Künker, Fritz Rudolf, Horst-Rudiger Künker, Ulrich Künker and Andreas Kaiser, Künker Auktion 352: Die Sammlung Hermann Schwarz: Faszination des gepragten Goldes. Osnabrück: Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co., AG, 2021.
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