Bohemia 1619 2 ducats Fr-27
This specimen was lot 2477 in Künker sale 439 (Osnabrück, March 2026), where it sold for €13,000 (about US$17,884 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"PFALZ, KURFÜRSTENTUM Friedrich V., 1610-1623. 2 Dukaten 1619, auf seine Krönung zum König von Böhmen. GOLD. Von größter Seltenheit. Winz. Henkelspur (?), vorzüglich. Die Rückseite mit der Umschrift: DANTE DEO ET ORDINVM CONCORDIA (Mit Gottes Hilfe und Eintracht der Stände) sowie dem Motiv mit der von fünf Händen gehaltenen Krone findet man auch bei einer ovalen Silbermedaille 1619 von Christian Maler. Hier ist der Mittelpunkt der Medaille von Schrift umgeben (siehe Stemper Nr. 162). (electorate of the Palatinate, Frederick V, 1610-23, double ducat of 1619, on his coronation as king of Bohemia. Extremely rare, a small mount mark, extremely fine. The legend—"With God's help and the concord of the Estates"—as well as the design featuring a crown held by five hands, can also be found on an oval silver medal from 1619 by Christian Maler. In this instance, the center of the medal is surrounded by text (see Stemper No. 162).)"
This design was also used for a five ducats (Fr-26a), three ducats (Fr-26b) and klippe double ducat (Fr-28). We don't see this listed in the SCWC. Frederick's short tenure as king of Bohemia earned him the sarcastic nickname "The Winter King". No one dreamed that his failed attempt to seize the throne would result in the Thirty Years War.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 6.98 g, 0.986 fine gold, this specimen 6,79 g.
Catalog reference: KM unlisted, Slg. Memmesh. -; Doneb. 2045 (dort in Silber); Fr-27 (listed under Bohemia); Stemper -; Slg. Kömmerling (Auktion UBS 65) -; Exter LX, Nr. LXXXVII.
- Craig, William D., Germanic Coinages: Charlemagne through Wilhelm II, Mountain View, CA: 1954.
- [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.
- 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.
- Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
Link to:
- 1611 double ducat, coronation of Matthias
- Bohemia 1619 3 kreuzer KM-219 kipper issue of Frederick V, Kuttenberg mint
- Bohemia 1619 3 kreuzer KM-237 kipper issue of the Bohemian estates, Brunn mint
- Bohemia 1619 12 kreuzer KM-224 kipper issue of Frederick V, Joachimsthal mint
- Bohemia 1619-CC 24 kreuzer KM-242 kipper issue of the Bohemian estates, Olmutz mint
- Bohemia 1619 24 kreuzer KM-226 kipper issue of the Bohemian estates, Prague mint
- Bohemia 1619 24 kreuzer KM-227 kipper issue of Frederick V, Joachimsthal mint
- 1619 half thaler, Kuttenberg mint
- 1619 10 ducats, Prague mint, Matthias
- Coins and currency dated 1619