View source for Transylvania 1655-NB 10 ducats Fr-394

[[Image:Transylvania Kunker 264-03371.jpg|550px|thumb|Kunker sale 164, lot 3371]]
This specimen was lot 3371 in Künker sale 264 (Osnabrück, June 2015), where it sold for €40,000 (about US$51,672 including buyer's fees). The catalog description<sup>[1]</sup> noted, <blockquote>"''SIEBENBÜRGEN, FÜRSTEN Georg Rakoczi II. 1648-1660. 10 Dukaten 1655, NB, Nagybánya. · GEOR · RAKO - · D · G · PRI · T ·  Geharnischtes Hüftbild r. mit Kalpag (Pelzmütze), mit der Rechten das Zepter schulternd, die Linke am Schwertgriff//· PAR · REG · HVN · DOM · ET · SIC · COM · 1655 · Gekröntes und verziertes siebenbürgisches Wappen mit dem Familienwappen Rakoczi als Mittelschild, unten zu den Seiten das Münzstättenzeichen N - B. GOLD. Von großer Seltenheit. Kl. Probierspur am Rand, sehr schön-vorzüglich.'' (principality of Transylvania, George Rakoczi II, 1648-60, ten ducats of 1652, Nagybánya mint. Obverse: armored bust in fur hat holding scepter in right hand; reverse: crowned and quartered arms of Transylvania with Rakoczi arms on central escutcheon dividing mintmark. Very rare, mount mark on edge, very fine to extremely fine.)"</blockquote> 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. Unlike many Transylvanian ducats, this type was struck multiple years (1652-55).

''Recorded mintage:'' unknown but few.

''Specification:'' 35 g, 0.986 fine gold, 1.11 troy oz AGW, this specimen 34.73 g.

''Catalog reference:'' KM 287, Fr-394; Resch 85. 

''[[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. 
* Adolf Resch, ''Siebenburgische Münzen und Medaillen von 1538 bis Gegenwart.'' Hermannstadt, 1901 (reprinted in Montreal, 1965).
* <sup>[1]</sup>Künker Münzauktionen und Goldhandel, ''Catalog 264, Gold coins | Russian Coins and Medals | German Coins after 1871,'' Osnabrück: Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co., AG, 2015. 

''Link to:''
* [[Transylvania 1652-NB 10 ducats Fr-394|1652 10 ducats]]
* [[Transylvania 1655-NB ducat Fr-399|1655 ducat]]
* [[Transylvania 1659-CV 10 ducats Fr-402|1659 10 ducats]]
* [[Coins and currency dated 1655]]
* return to coins of [[Transylvania]]

[[Category:Gold ducats of Europe]][[Category:Selections from Kunker sale 263, 264]]