Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel 1627-HS thaler Dav-6307

photo courtesy Stack's Bowers

photo courtesy Stack's Bowers

Stack's Bowers February 2023 Collector's Choice sale, lot 73212

Künker Auction 426, lot 3526

This type was struck 1627-35 in Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel and is among the more common thalers of the period. This specimen seems to be a product of the Goslar mint; HS are the initials of mintmaster Henning Schluter. The "wild man" design was popular in Brunswick and Hannover at the time and appeared on many different thalers and minors. Duke Friedrich Ulrich ruled 1613-34. Friedrich Ulrich was more preoccupied with drinking himself to death rather than defending his realm from the marauding armies of the Thirty Years War. The first specimen was lot 1516 in Stack's Coin Galleries sale (Irvine, July 2011), where it sold for $402.50. The catalog description noted, "GERMAN STATES. BRUNSWICK-WOLFENBUTTEL. Taler, 1627 HS. Friedrich Ulrich (1613-34). Wildman holds tree on left, DEO ET PATRIAE, For God and Fatherland. Rv. 11-fold Arms, 'D's; in Latin legend resemble & B's.; Smooth silver shows a wisp of gray-gold, surface hairlines." The second specimen was lot 73212 in Stack's Bowers Collector's Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, February 2023), where it sold for $312. The catalog description^[2] noted, "GERMANY. Brunswick-Luneburg: Brunswick. Taler, 1627/6-HS. Goslar or Zellerfeld Mint. Friedrich Ulrich. PCGS Genuine--Scratch, EF Details. Overdate variety. Despite the noted scratch, which is rather minor and fairly old, this well handled and deeply toned crown features a clear overdate, with a bold '6' under the final '7.' From the Robert C. Knepper Collection." The second specimen was catalogued by the auctioneers as Dav-6303 but that subtype lacks the beaded border around the wild man. The third specimen was lot 3526 in Künker Auction 426 (Osnabrück, July 2025), where it sold for €370 (about US$524 including buyers' fees). The catalog description^[3] noted,

"BRAUNSCHWEIG-WOLFENBÜTTEL, FÜRSTENTUM Friedrich Ulrich, 1613-1634. Reichstaler 1627, Goslar oder Zellerfeld. Variante mit BRUNSUIC in der Umschrift der Vorderseite. Dav-6303; Welter 1057 A. Hübsche Patina, sehr schön. (Germany, duchy of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Frederick Ulrich, 1613-34, thaler of 1627, Goslar or Zellerfeld mints, variety with BRUNSUIC in the obverse legend. Handsome patina, very fine.)"

Recorded mintage: unknown.

Specification: 29 g, 0.875 fine silver, 42 mm diameter, the third specimen 29,08 g.

Catalog reference: Davenport 6307, KM 52.5.

Source:

• Craig, William D., Germanic Coinages: Charlemagne through Wilhelm II, Mountain View, CA: 1954.
• Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
• Davenport, John S., German Secular Talers, 1600-1700, Frankfurt: Numismatischer Verlag, 1976.
• ^[1]Van Valen, Frank, and Vicken Yegparian, The July 2011 Coin Galleries Sale, Irvine, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, 2011.
• ^[2]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, February 2023 World Collectors Choice Online Auction, featuring the David Sterling Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2023.
• ^[3]Künker, Fritz Rudolf, Horst-Rudiger Künker, Ulrich Künker and Andreas Kaiser, eLive Premium Auction 426: European and German Coins and Medals from the 16th to the 20th century, Osnabrück: Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co., AG, 2025.

Links to:

• 1626-HS ⅛ thaler, on the death of the duke's mother
• 1626-HS thaler, on the death of the duke's mother
• 1626-HS thaler, wild man reverse, beaded inner border
• Brunswick-Luneburg-Celle 1626-HS thaler Dav-6469
• Brunswick-Harburg 1627 thaler Dav-6405
• Brandenburg 1627 2 thaler Dav-6140
• Brunswick 1628 thaler Dav-5127
• 1628-HS thaler, wild man reverse
• 1633 thaler, Lauthenthal mine
• Coins and currency dated 1627