Prussia 1873-B 20 mark

Sincona sale 51, lot 2357

This type was struck 1871-73 in substantial numbers from the Berlin (mintmark "A"), Hannover (mintmark "B") and Frankfurt (mintmark "C") mints during the reign of William I, emperor of Germany 1871-88. It was superseded in 1874 by a revised reverse. Tho this later type was struck 1874-88, it is not as common as the type shown here. There is a concurrent ten mark gold piece (Fr-3819) with a similar design. After the unification of Germany in 1871, the previously independent states were permitted to mint coins of a face value of two mark and up while the smaller coinage was struck to a uniform design. This specimen was lot 2357 in Sincona sale 51 (Zurich, October 2018), where it sold for 300 CHF (about US$362 including buyer's fees). The catalog description^[1] noted,

"Wilhelm I. 1861-1888. 20 Mark 1873 B, Hannover. Vorzüglich-FDC. (Germany, kingdom of Prussia, William I, 1861-88, twenty mark of 1873, Hannover mint. Extremely fine-uncirculated.)"

Recorded mintage: 3,441,178.

Specification: 7.96 g, 0.900 fine gold, .230 troy oz AGW, this specimen 7.94 g.

Catalog reference: KM-501, J. 243B, Fr-3813.

Source:

• 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.
• Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
• Jaeger, Kurt, Die Deutschen Münzen seit 1871, Basel: Münzen und Medaillen AG, 1982.
• ^[1]Richter, Jürg, Sincona Auction 51: Gold and Silver Coins and Medals; Coins and Medals from Switzerland, Zurich: SINCONA AG, 2018.

Link to:

• 1872-A 3 pfennig
• 1872-A 2½ silbergroschen
• 1872-B 20 mark
• 1872-A 20 mark
• 1873-B silbergroschen
• Germany 1873-G 20 pfennig
• Germany 1873-A mark
• Baden 1873-G 20 mark
• Bavaria 1873-D 10 mark Munich mint
• Bavaria 1873-D 20 mark Munich mint
• Hamburg 1873-B 10 mark Hannover mint
• Hesse 1873-H 10 mark Darmstadt mint
• Hesse 1873-H 20 mark
• Mecklenburg-Strelitz 1873-A 10 mark Berlin mint
• Mecklenburg-Strelitz 1873-A 20 mark Berlin mint
• Prussia 1873-A 10 mark Berlin mint
• Prussia 1873-B 10 mark Hannover mint
• Prussia 1873-C 10 mark Frankfurt mint
• 1873-A 20 mark
• Saxony 1873-E 10 mark Muldenhutten mint
• Saxony 1873-E 20 mark
• Wurttemberg 1873-F 20 mark
• Wurttemberg 1873-F 10 mark Karlsruhe mint
• 1874-B 10 mark
• 1874-C 10 mark
• 1875-A 20 mark
• Coins and currency dated 1873
• return to coins of German States, Prussia