Hildesheim 1763 1/2 pistole Fr-1327

Künker sale 336, lot 6543

This specimen was lot 6543 in Künker sale 336 (Osnabrück, Germany, March 2020), where it sold for €1,500 (about US$1,963 including buyer's fees). The catalog description^[1] noted,

"HILDESHEIM, BISTUM. Friedrich Wilhelm von Westfalen, 1763-1789. 1/2 Pistole 1763. GOLD. R Kl. Stempelfehler, sehr schön. (Germany, bishopric of Hildesheim, Frederick William of Westphalia, 1763-89, Scarce, minor edge faults, very fine.)"

The city (Lutheran) and bishop of Hildesheim (Catholic) both issued thalers in the eighteen century; the resulting types range from rare to very rare. This type is accompanied by a rare gold five thaler. Hildesheim was annexed to Prussia in 1803, then was part of the Napoleonic puppet kingdom of Westphalia 1807-13, then awarded to Hannover in 1813. The SCWC reports KM 113 (mantled arms, shown here) and KM 112 (baroque arms) as 6.65 g, 0.900 fine gold = five thaler. We think it more likely that the half pistole was intended to be 2½ thaler and that the weight reported by the auctioneers is correct.

Recorded mintage: unknown.

Specification: 3.33 g, 0.903 fine gold, this specimen 3.30 g.

Catalog reference: KM 113, Fr-1327; Mehl 692.

Source:

• Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
• 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.
• ^[1]Künker Münzauktionen und Goldhandel, Catalog 336: Gold coins from all over the World|German Coins after 1871. Osnabrück: Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co., AG, 2020.

Link to:

• 1736 thaler
• 1761-S ⅔ thaler, sede vacante
• 1764 ⅓ thaler, bust obverse
• 1768 thaler
• Coins and currency dated 1763