Westphalia 1811-C 20 franken
This specimen was lot 2527 in Künker sale 439 (Osnabrück, March 2026), where it sold for €800 (about US$1,101 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"WESTPHALEN, KÖNIGREICH Hieronymus Napoleon, 1807-1813. 20 Franken 1811 C. Mit Münzzeichen "Adlerkopf" und mit Randschrift. GOLD. Winz. Stempelfehler am Rand, sehr schön. (kingdom of Westphalia, Jerome Napoleon, 1807-13, twenty francs of 1811, with eagle's head privy mark and lettered edge. Die defect on edge, very fine.)"
This twenty francs was struck in Hamburg and Cassel for the puppet state of Westphalia 1808-13, all with mintmark "C". The French inspired decimal coinage was accompanied by traditional German denominations, such as the thaler. Jerome, Napoleon's brother, served him faithfully, stripping his domain of men and money for the Russian campaign. The kingdom collapsed after the battle of Leipzig. At the Congress of Vienna, the area was restored to its former lords, Hannover and Prussia.
Recorded mintage: 18,903.
Specification: 6.45 g, 0.900 fine gold, 21 mm diameter, lettered edge, this specimen 6,41 g.
Catalog reference: KM 103 (formerly KM C33a), Divo/S. 218; Fr-3517; Schl. 901.
- Craig, William D., Germanic Coinages: Charlemagne through Wilhelm II, Mountain View, CA: 1954.
- 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, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Künker, Fritz Rudolf, Horst-Rudiger Künker, Ulrich Künker and Andreas Kaiser, Frühjahrs-Auktion 439: Gold Coins from around the world, particularly Denmark, Habsburg, Malta and Saxony | German Coins after 1871 including Coins from the Collection of Jürgen and Erika Schmidt, Osnabrück: Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co., AG, 2026.
Links: