Bavaria 1732 1/2 carolin Fr-233
This specimen was lot 1852 in Jean Elsen sale 158 (Brussels, March 2024), where it sold for €480 (about US$624 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"ALLEMAGNE, BAVIERE, Karl Albrecht (1726-1745), AV demi-carolin, 1732. D/ B. à d. R/ La Madone à l'enfant trônant de f., ten. l'écu couronné de Bavière. Légèrement nettoyé. Fine griffe au revers. Très Beau à Superbe. (Germany, electorate of Bavaria, Charles Albert, 1726-45, gold half carolin of 1732. Obverse: bust right; reverse: Madonna and Child enthroned facing, supporting the crowned arms of Bavaria. Lightly cleaned, fine scratch on the reverse, Very Fine - Extremely Fine.)"
The eighteenth century saw a fad for absolutist rulers issuing gold coins named after themselves. The most important was the French louis d'or introduced by Louis XIII and issued until the French Revolution in 1789. In Prussia, Frederick the Great minted the friedrichs d'or and Denmark alternated between frederiks d'or and christians d'or depending on who held the throne. In Bavaria, the carolin d'or superseded the maximilian d'or in 1726 but was minted only until 1737 along with half and double carolin d'or. Eventually the electors went back to the traditional ducat, a universally accepted denomination. The type shown here was issued 1732-37. The origin of this denomination is obscure as it fits neither the ducat (3.50 g) nor the louis d'or (8.18 g), but it was minted in several south German principalities. An imperial decree of 1736 banned their production by reason of the low fineness of gold. Some lords attempted to surreptitiously issue backdated coinage but eventually production ended.
Reported Mintage: unknown.
Specification: 4.85 g, 0.770 fine gold; this specimen 4,80 g.
Catalog reference: KM 422, Hahn 256; Fr-233.
- 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]Elsen, Philippe, et al., Vente Publique 158, Monnaies de la Principauté de Liège, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils S.A., 2024.
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