Prussia 1718-HFH thaler Dav-2571

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Künker sale 293, lot 329

This specimen was lot 329 in Künker sale 293 (Osnabrück, Germany, July 2017), where it sold for €3,800 (about US$5,122 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,

"PREUSSEN, KÖNIGREICH Friedrich Wilhelm I. der Soldatenkönig, 1713-1740. Reichstaler 1718, HFH, Berlin, für das Herzogtum Geldern. RR Feine Tönung, kl. Schrötlingsfehler, fast vorzüglich. Das Münzmeisterzeichen des vorliegenden Reichstalers läßt eigentlich darauf schließen, daß dieses Stück in Magdeburg geprägt worden ist. Von Schrötter schreibt jedoch, daß Heinrich Friedrich Halter die Münzen für das Herzogtum Geldern in Berlin gemünzt hat. (Germany, kingdom of Prussia, Frederick William I, the Soldier King, 1713-40, thaler of 1718, Berlin mint, for the duchy of Geldern. Rare, fine toning, light hairlines, about extremely fine. The coin-master's mark shown on the present thaler suggests that this piece was coined in Magdeburg. Von Schrotter, however, writes that Heinrich Friedrich Halter minted them in Berlin.)"

This rare one year type which was accompanied by a 1/16 thaler, a 1/8 thaler, a 1/4 thaler, and a 1/2 thaler a year later, was the series was struck for Prussian Gelderland, a small province on the border with the Netherlands.

History: After the death of Charles II of Spain in 1700, the War of Spanish Succession (1701-1714) broke out due to the fact that Charles II had no children and the heir to the Spanish line of the Habsburgs and his lands were contested. In Charles’ will it states that Philip of Anjou was the heir and he was backed by his grandfather Louis XIV, king of France.

The Grand Alliance (League of Augsburg) was an anti-French alliance made in 1689 and was made up of the Dutch Republic, England, and the Habsburg Monarchy which disbanded after the Nine Years war in 1697. This alliance was reformed prior to the War of Spanish Succession by the Treaty of the Hauge in 1701 and included England, Habsburg Austrian line, and the United Provinces to combat French dominance.

In 1702, Prussia joined the Grand Alliance to prevent French dominance. Towards the end of the War of the Spanish Succession, at the signing of the Treaty of Utrecht, Prussia got control over a section of Upper Guelders that was previously part of the Spanish Netherlands.

Recorded mintage: unknown.

Specification: 0.868 fine silver.

Catalog reference: Dav-2571, v. Schr. 548, KM-173 (Prussia), KM-200 (Prussian Gelderland)

Source:

  • Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
  • Davenport, John S., German Talers, 1700-1800, 2nd Ed., London: Spink & Son, 1965.
  • [1]Ponterio, Richard, The January 2015 NYINC Auction: Ancient Coins, World Coins & Paper Money, Featuring the John W. Adams and Ray Czabor Collections, Irvine, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2014.

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