View source for Saxe-Altenburg 1672 10 ducats Fr-2913

[[Image:Saxe-Altenburg 1672 10 ducats obv H3029-30092.jpg|300px|thumb|Heritage sale 3029, lot 30092]]
[[Image:Saxe-Altenburg 1672 10 ducats rev H3029-30092.jpg|300px|thumb]]

This specimen was lot 30092 in Heritage sale 3029 (New York, January 2014), where it sold for $105,750. The catalog description<sup>[1]</sup> noted, <blockquote>"Incredibly Rare Baroque Masterpiece Saxe-Altenburg. Duke Friedrich Wilhelm III gold 10 Ducats 1672, AU58 NGC. This example is well defined, considering the multiple die strikes, with a slightly irregular flan and traces of original luster remaining. Struck with the Double Taler dies as Davenport 7408. The obverse shows a bust of the young Duke facing right, while the reverse has a twelve-line inscription within a beaded circle. This is an exceedingly rare issue, with no listing in Krause and no picture in Friedberg, where it lists the value merely as Very Rare. Davenport pictures the Double Taler, which is identical in type to this piece. We can find no other record of sale of this type, and we doubt that more than one or two others exist.

<p>Friedrich Wilhelm III, the second son of Friedrich Wilhelm II, became heir to the duchy of Saxe-Altenburg on the passing of his older brother Christian in 1663. His father died in 1669, making him duke at the age of twelve. Friedrich's uncles, Johann Georg II of Saxony, and Duke Maurice of Saxe-Zeitz became his guardians, and regents of the duchy. Three years later, Friedrich died of smallpox, and the Saxe-Altenburg line ended. The duchy was subsequently split between his relatives."</p></blockquote> Saxon ducats as a class are rare and this type is no exception.

''Recorded mintage:'' unknown.

''Specification:'' 35 g, 0.986 fine gold.

''Catalog reference:'' KM-unlisted, Fr-2913. 

''[[Bibliography|Source:]]''
* 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. 
* <sup>[1]</sup>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. 

''Link to:''
* [[Saxe-Altenburg 1642 ducat Fr-2908]]
* [[Augsburg 1672 2 ducats Fr-70]]
* [[Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg 1673-MR thaler Dav-7459]]
* [[Coins and currency dated 1672]]
* return to coins of [[German States, Saxe-Altenburg]]

[[Category:Gold ducats of Europe]][[Category:Selections from Heritage sale 3029]]