Colmar 1575 60 kreuzer KM-MB79

Jean Elsen sale 149, lot 1650

upper Alsace in 1477, showing Colmar between Ensisheim and Strasbourg

This specimen was lot 1650 in Jean Elsen sale 149 (Brussels, December 2021), where it sold for €700 (about US$948 including buyer's fees). The catalog description^[1] noted,

"FRANCE, COLMAR, Ville impériale, AR florin d'argent (Guldentaler) de 60 Kreuzer, 1575. Au titre de Maximilien II. D/ Ecu de la ville dans un cartouche orné, sous la date. R/ Aigle impériale couronnée. Très rare Frappe faible au droit. Nettoyé. Beau à Très Beau. (France, free city of Colmar, silver florin or guldenthaler of sixty kreuzer of 1575, struck in the name of Maximilian II. Obverse: city arms in an ornate cartouche under the date; reverse: crowned imperial eagle. Very rare, weakly struck on the obverse, cleaned, Fine - Very Fine.)"

The thalers from this city in Upper Alsace, now part of France, are all very rare. Only slightly more available are the gulden, which Colmar struck 1565-75 for Ferdinand I (deceased) and Maximilian II (shown here). The ones in the name of Ferdinand are much more available tho not common. At this time, the gulden was five sixths of a thaler, later to slide to two-thirds.

Recorded mintage: unknown.

Specification: silver, this specimen 24,16 g.

Catalog reference: KM MB79, Engel-Lehr 67; Dav-21.

Source:

• Nicol, N. Douglas, Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of German Coins, 1501-Present, 3rd ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2011.
• ^[1]Elsen, Philippe, et al., Vente Publique 149: Monnaies, Médailles et Décorations, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils S.A., 2021.

Link to:

• 1554 thaler
• Strasbourg 1575 10 kreuzer
• Coins and currency dated 1575