Basel 1640 thaler Dav-4606

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Stack's Bowers 2015 NYINC sale, lot 1732
photo courtesy Stack's Bowers LLC
UBS sale 85, lot 1845
Sincona sale 70, lot 3077

The first specimen was lot 1732 in Stacks-Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2015), where it did not sell. The catalog description[1] noted, "SWITZERLAND. Basel. Taler, 1640. NGC AU-55. Beautifully toned with iridescent highlights." The second specimen was lot 1845 in UBS sale 85 (Zurich, September 2010), where it sold for 550 CHF (about US$627 including buyer's fee). The catalog description[3] noted,

"SCHWEIZ Basel, Stadt Taler 1640. Stadtwappen zwischen Jahreszahl auf verzierter Wappenkartusche, darüber geflügelter Engelskopf. Rv. Links blickender Adler mit ausgebreiteten Flügeln. Patina. Gutes sehr schön." (City of Basel thaler of 1640. Obverse: city arms with date, angel's head above; reverse: eagle with wings displayed. Toned, good very fine.)

The third specimen was lot 3077 in Sincona sale 70 (Zurich, May 2021), where it sold for 750 CHF (about US$996 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[4] noted,

"SWITZERLAND | Basel | Stadt und Kanton. Taler 1640, Basel. Winterstein (Taler) 80/79. D.T. 1337. HMZ 2-78q. Selten in dieser Erhaltung mit feiner Patina. Vorzüglich. Minimaler Schrötlingsfehler am Rand. (Switzerland, city and canton of Basel, thaler of 1640, Basel mint. Rare in this condition. Nicely toned, Extremely fine, Minor flan flaw on edge.)"

Basel struck numerous varieties of thalers (Dav-4606 thru -4611) in 1640, varying as follows:

  • Dav-4606: large arabesques framing the city arms; the cherub with wings up, down or furled (shown here);
  • Dav-4607: slimmer arabesques framing the city arms with a dot in front of "·MONETA";
  • Dav-4608: no arabesques around the city arms;
  • Dav-4609: slimmer arabesques with dots in the obverse legend instead of rosettes;
  • Dav-4610: arabesques tied up with ribbons and small rosettes in the obverse legend;
  • Dav-4611: city name spelled "BASILEESIS".

Since they are all worth about the same, most auction cataloguers don't bother to attribute them accurately Winterstein[2] lists W-78 thru W-103 for this issue, including some with arabesques on the eagle side, not mentioned in Davenport.

Recorded mintage: unknown.

Specification: silver, the third specimen 28.42 g.

Catalog reference: Dav-4606; KM-B94.1; HMZ-2-78o; Divo-94; the second specimen: Wint. 81, HMZ 2-78o.

Source:

  • Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
  • Davenport, John S., European Crowns, 1600-1700, Galesburg, IL, 1974.
  • Richter, Juerg, and Ruedi Kunzmann, Neuer HMZ-Katalog, Band 2: Die Münzen der Schweiz und Liechtensteins 15//16. Jahrhundert bis Gegenwart, Regenstauf, Germany: H. Gietl Verlag GmbH, 2006.
  • [2]Winterstein, Christian, Die Taler Von Basel, Basel: Schweizerischer Bankverein Basel, 1983.
  • [1]Ponterio, Richard, The January 2015 NYINC Auction: Ancient Coins, World Coins & Paper Money, Featuring the John W. Adams and Ray Czabor Collections, Irvine, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2014.
  • [3]UBS Auction 85: Gold and Silver Coins, Zurich: UBS AG, 2010.
  • [4]Jürg Richter, Auction 70, Swiss Coins and Medals and Rarities in Gold, Zurich: Sincona AG, 2021.

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