Transylvania 1661 ducat Fr-422
This specimen was lot 30306 in Heritage sale 3029 (New York, January 2014), where it sold for $30,550. The catalog description[1] noted, "Excessively Rare Johann Kemeny gold Ducat 1661, AU58 NGC. Obv. Bust right with fur hat and scepter, IOKEMEN-DG PT. Rev. Crowned arms, PAR.REG.HVN.DO.ET.SI.CO.1661. A superb example of this exceedingly rare gold ducat. The surfaces are fully brilliant, and original, with nice details and no notable flaws. We can find no examples of this type offered for sale. We find a single ducat of this ruler sold by a major European auction house (H.D. Rauch) in 2012, but that piece was Fr-423 (also graded AU by the auctioneer). The Rauch sale example was estimated for 20,000 Euros and realized 52,000 Euros. Johann Kemeny was elected as Prince of Transylvania in 1661. He ruled only for one year, as he was killed in the Battle of Nagyszollos in January of 1622. He struck coins for only a very brief period, and all are quite rare. Ex: "Colonel" E.H.R. Green; Green Estate' Partnership of Eric P Newman / B.G. Johnson." The princes of Transylvania were sandwiched between the Ottoman Empire to the south and the Hapsburg dominions to the west and attempted to maintain independence from both. The Hapsburgs reconquered Hungary from the Turks in the 1680's and ended Transylvanian autonomy. This type is listed for 1661 only. It varies from Fr-423 in the placement of the obverse legends.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 3.5 g, 0.986 fine gold, .110 troy oz AGW.
Catalog reference: KM 350, Fr-422.
- 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.
- Adolf Resch, Siebenburgische Münzen und Medaillen von 1538 bis Gegenwart. Hermannstadt, 1901 (reprinted in Montreal, 1965).
- [1]Bierrenbach, Cristiano, Stuart Levine and Bruce Lorich, Heritage World and Ancient Coins Auction 3029, featuring Selections from the Eric P. Newman Collection, Part III, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2013.
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