Silesia-Liegnitz-Brieg 1610-CT 3 ducats Fr-3153
This specimen was lot 257 in Künker sale 400 (Berlin, February 2024), where it sold for €26,000 (about US$33,730 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"SCHLESIEN, LIEGNITZ-BRIEG, HERZOGTUM, Johann Christian und Georg Rudolf, 1602-1621. 3 Dukaten 1610, CT, Reichenstein. D : G . IOHAN · CHRIST · ET · GEORG · RVD · FRA · Beider Hüftbilder im Harnisch und mit umgelegten Mänteln einander gegenüber, darüber Reichsapfel, der die Umschrift teilt//DVC · SIL Ú LIG · - ET · BREG . 6I0 · Dreifach behelmtes, vierfeldiges Wappen, am Ende der Umschrift das Münzmeisterzeichen CT (hochgestellt; Christoph Tuchmann, Münzverwalter in Reichenstein). GOLD. RR Attraktives, sauber ausgeprägtes Exemplar, winz. Kratzer, vorzüglich. Exemplar der westfälischen Privatsammlung „Mehrfachportraits auf Münzen und Medaillen". (Germany, Silesia, duchy of Liegnitz-Brieg, John Christian and George Rudolf, 1602-21, triple ducat of 1610, Reichenstein mint. Obverse: half-length portraits of the brothers facing each other, imperial orb in the legend; reverse: triple helmeted and quartered arms, engraved initial at the end of the reverse legend. Very rare, attractive, well struck, tiny scratches, extremely fine.)"
This pair of brothers issued numerous gold coins. This design was used on 20 ducats (Fr-3147), ten ducats (Fr-3148), seven ducats (Fr-3149), six ducats (Fr-3150), five ducats (Fr-3151), four ducats (Fr-3152), three ducats (Fr-3153, shown here), single ducat (Fr-3154) and half ducat (Fr-3155) of 1605-20. The SCWC mentions a klippe three ducats (KM 107) not noted in Friedberg.
Silesia is considered a German State even tho the province was then under Austrian rule and is now in Poland. This rare type was struck in 1610 and 1613. John Christian was raised a Lutheran and became a Calvinist as a adult. Silesia, tho under Hapsburg rule, was then mostly Protestant. He supported Frederick V against Ferdinand II and was forced to go into exile after the Protestants were crushed at the battle of the White Mountain in 1620.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 10.5 g, 0.986 fine gold, this specimen 10.42 g.
Catalog reference: KM 107 (klippe), Fr-3153; F. u. S. 1448.
- 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, 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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