Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp 1712-BH ducat Fr-3091
This specimen was lot 269 in Künker sale 400 (Berlin, February 2024), where it sold for €12,000 (about US$15,568 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN, HOLSTEIN-GOTTORP, HERZOGTUM, Karl Friedrich, 1702-1739. Dukat 1712, Tönning. Geharnischtes Brustbild r. mit Umhang//Gekrönter Wappenschild mit den Wappen von Norwegen, Holstein, Stormarn, Dithmarschen, Oldenburg, Delmenhorst und dem Wappen von Schleswig als Mittelschild. GOLD. RR Vorzüglich +. Auf diesem Stück ist das schleswiger Wappen als Herzschild geführt, was ungewöhnlich ist, denn an diese Stelle gehört normalerweise das Familienwappen, in diesem Fall Oldenburg. Es hängt sicher mit den Auseinandersetzungen mit dem König von Dänemark um Schleswig zusammen. (Germany, duchy of Holstein-Gottorp, Charles Frederick, 1702-39, ducat of 1712, Tönning mint. Obverse: caped and armored bust right; reverse: crowned arms of Norway, Holstein, Stormarn, Dithmarschen, Oldenburg, Delmenhorst with Schleswig as the escutcheon. Very rare, choice extemely fine. On this piece, the Schleswig coat of arms is shown as an escutcheon, which is unusual because the family coat of arms, in this case Oldenburg, usually belongs in this place. It is certainly related to the disputes with the king of Denmark over Schleswig.)"
The dynastic affairs of this duchy are complicated even by German standards as the dukes were related to the king of Denmark and even the czar of Russia. This rare type was struck 1712 only but another ducat of 1712 (KM 203/Fr-3092) is recorded with only three known. Wikipedia comments,
"Charles Frederick, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp (30 April 1700 – 18 June 1739) was a Prince of Sweden and Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp and an important member of European royalty. His dynasty, the Dukes of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp, were a cadet branch of the ancient House of Oldenburg, which at that time was ruling Denmark-Norway. His mother was a sister of Charles XII of Sweden. Charles Frederick married a daughter of Peter the Great and became the father of the future Peter III of Russia. As such, he is the progenitor of the Russian imperial house of Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov and the patrilineal ancestor of all Russian emperors starting with Peter III, except for Catherine II."
The duke (or rather, his regent) sided with Sweden during the Great Northern War and saw his domain ravaged and occupied by the Danes. Fleeing to Sweden, he was a claimant to that throne on the death of Charles XII in 1718 but lost out to Ulrika Eleonora. He moved to Russia, marrying a Russian princess and becoming the father of tsar Peter III.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 3.49 g, 0.986 fine gold, this specimen 3.44 g.
Catalog reference: KM 209 (formerly KM 105), Fr-3091; Lange 448.
- 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.
- Siegs Møntcatalog 2016: Danmark med Omrader, 48 ed., Frederikssund, Siegs Forlag ApS, 2015.
- [1]Künker, Fritz Rudolf, Horst-Rudiger Künker, Ulrich Künker and Andreas Kaiser, Katalog 400: Selected löser of the Dukes of Guelph from the Friedrich Popken Collection | Numismatic treasures from the Medieval and Modern Times, a. o. "multiple portraits" from a Westphalian private collection, Osnabrück: Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co., AG, 2024.
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