Saxony 1883-E 2 mark
This specimen was lot 42269 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Chicago, August 2024), where it sold for $576. The catalog description[1] noted, "GERMANY. Saxony. 2 Mark, 1883-E. Muldenhutten Mint. Albert. PCGS AU-58. A quite RARELY encountered type as a whole, with this date being particularly elusive; a mere three examples have been certified between PCGS and NGC to date, and the typical uncertified example that trades in public auction exhibits heavy wear. Lightly mottled blue and purple toning decorates the surfaces, with just a touch of wear about the high points. From the Richard Margolis Collection." The silver two mark replaced the old gulden (10.58 g, 0.900 fine) struck in south Germany prior to unification. This type was struck 1876-80, 1883 and 1888 and should be more common than it is, given that some dates have large mintages. The Dresden mint was moved to Muldenhutten in 1887. The Muldenhutten mint, after striking coins for the Saxon kings, later minted for the Weimar republic, the Nazis and the Communists before closing in 1953.
Recorded mintage: 55,700.
Specification: 11.11 g, 0.900 fine silver, lettered edge.
Catalog reference: KM-1238; J-121.
- Craig, William D., Germanic Coinages: Charlemagne through Wilhelm II, Mountain View, CA: 1954.
- Jaeger, Kurt, Die Deutschen Münzen seit 1871, Basel: Münzen und Medaillen AG, 1982.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, August 2024 Global Showcase Auction, World & Ancient Coins, featuring The Emilio M. Ortiz Collection, The Richard Margolis Collection and The Rutherford Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2024.
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