Transylvania 1721 ducat Fr-520
This specimen was lot 1062 in Sincona sale 69 (Zürich, May 2021), where it sold for 1,850 CHF (about US$2,455 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"HEILIGES ROMISCHES REICH. Karl VI. 1711-1740. Dukat 1721, Karlsburg. Für Siebenbürgen. Gutes vorzüglich. (Holy Roman Empire, Charles VI, 1711-40, ducat of 1721, Karlsburg mint, for Transylvania. Good extremely fine.)"
While the ducats of the seventeenth century were issued by the local princes and vary widely in design, by the reign of Charles VI (father of Maria Theresia), Transylvania was firmly under Hapsburg control. Friedberg lumps all the ducats of this reign under one catalog number while the SCWC divides them into five types to account for their considerable variation. The design is very similar to the regular ducats of Austria but the reverse legend states, "PRINC·TRANSYL·" in addition to the emperor's other titles. This type was struck 1721-28.
Reported Mintage: unknown.
Specification: 3.49 g, 0.986 fine gold, this specimen 3.44 g.
Catalog reference: KM 574, Herinek 205. Fr-520.
- 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.
- Adolf Resch, Siebenburgische Münzen und Medaillen von 1538 bis Gegenwart. Hermannstadt, 1901 (reprinted in Montreal, 1965).
- [1]Jürg Richter, Auction 69, World Gold and Silver Coins and Medals, Zurich: Sincona AG, 2021.
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