Bavaria 1865 1/2 gulden
This specimen was lot 2908 in Steve Album Auction 53 (Santa Rosa, CA, September 2025), where it sold for $180. The catalog description[1] noted, "BAVARIA: Ludwig II, 1864-1886, AR 1/2 gulden, 1865, a wonderful lustrous example! NGC graded MS64." This type was struck 1864-66 and is rather scarce. It was superseded by a very similar half gulden (KM 882) of 1866-71 which showed the king with a different hairstyle. One of the results of unification was the termination of separate coinages for each of the independent states, including Bavaria. Bavaria continued to issue coins using the united empire standard in the denominations of 2, 5, 10 and 20 mark until 1918 when the empire collapsed at the end of World War One. The old thalers continued to circulate as three mark pieces. This piece, within 5% of the weight of a one mark piece, may also have circulated for a time. King Ludwig II ruled until 1886, when he was deposed in favor of his brother. Disliked for his extravagance and his homosexuality, he died soon after under very mysterious circumstances.
Recorded mintage: 227,239.
Specification: 5.3 g, 0.900 fine silver, 25 mm diameter, .153 troy oz ASW, reeded edge.
Catalog reference: KM-866 (formerly KM 479), AKS-179.
- Craig, William D., Germanic Coinages: Charlemagne through Wilhelm II, Mountain View, CA: 1954.
- Jaeger, Kurt, Die Deutschen Münzen seit 1871, Basel: Münzen und Medaillen AG, 1982.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Album, Stephen, Joseph Lang, Paul Montz, Michael Barry and Hanbing Feng, Auction 53, featuring Selections from the Dr. Robert A. Rosenfeld, Almer H. Orr III, Dr. Dirk Loer and Joe Sedillot Collections, Santa Rosa, CA: Stephen Album Rare Coins, Inc., 2025.
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