Saxony 1757-IDB 1/24 thaler
This specimen was lot 3366 in Künker sale 353 (Osnabruck, Germany, September 2021), where it sold for €16,000 (about US$22,267 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"BRANDENBURG-PREUSSEN, PREUSSEN, KÖNIGREICH, Kriegsprägungen in Sachsen. Goldabschlag von den Stempeln des 1/24 Talers 1757, IDB, Dresden, mit Titel Friedrich August II. von Sachsen (als August III. von Polen). D : G : FRID : AUGUST : REX POL : Gekröntes, vierfeldiges Wappen von Polen mit gekröntem sächsischen Mittelschild, darunter die Signatur I . D · B · (Johann David Billert, Münzmeister in Dresden 1757-1759)//c DUX SAX : S : R : I : ARCH : ET ELECT :, im Feld: 24 / EINEN / THALER / 1757. GOLD. Von großer Seltenheit. Prachtexemplar mit feiner Goldpatina. Fast Stempelglanz. Exemplar der Slg. Virgil M. Brand, Teil 5, Auktion Leu 70, Zürich 1997, Nr. 7392. (Germany, kingdom of Prussia, Frederick II the Great, 1740-86, occupation coinage for Saxony, gold strike of the 1/24 thaler of 1757, Dresden mint, in the name of Frederick Augustus II of Saxony. Obverse: crowned, quartered arms of Poland with the escutcheon of Saxony, initials below; reverse: value. Extremely rare, choice example with fine gold patina, about uncirculated.)"
This type was struck in billon 1756-57, during the Seven Years War, by Prussian mint contractors using Saxon dies. Judging from the weight, this off-metal strike was meant to pass for a ducat.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: normally billon, this specimen gold, 3,47 g.
Catalog reference: KM 930 (billon), Olding 465 Anm; Kahnt K 10.2.
- 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]Künker, Fritz Rudolf, Horst-Rudiger Künker, Ulrich Künker and Andreas Kaiser, Künker Auktion 353: Die Sammlung Axel Tesmer, Teil 2: Prägungen der Könige von Preussen von der Kroning 1701 bis zum Ende der Monarchie. Osnabrück: Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co., AG, 2021.
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