Emden 1689 2/3 thaler
This specimen was lot 1179 in Jean Elsen sale 149 (Brussels, December 2021), where it sold for €95 (about US$129 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"ALLEMAGNE, EMDEN, Ville, AR 2/3 Taler, 1689. Au titre de Léopold Ier. D/ Ecu couronné de la ville entre deux palmes. R/ Aigle impériale couronnée. Fin de plaque. presque Très Beau. (Germany, city of Emden, silver two-thirds thaler of 1689, struck in the name of Leopold I. Obverse: crowned arms of the town between two palms; reverse: crowned imperial eagle. about Very Fine.)"
In the seventeenth century, Emden was an insignificant fishing village in Ostfriesland on the border between Germany and the Netherlands (part of the Empire until 1648). It rose in importance during the industrialization of the late nineteenth century and received the attention of several devastating bombing raids during World War Two. This type was struck 1684, 1688-91 and is among the more available coins from this locale.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: silver, this specimen 16,48 g.
Catalog reference: KM 30, Knyphausen 6289; Dav-506.
- Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
- [1]Elsen, Philippe, et al., Vente Publique 149: Monnaies, Médailles et Décorations, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils S.A., 2021.
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