Hesse 1876-H 2 mark

Künker sale 354, lot 6214

This specimen was lot 6214 in Künker sale 354 (Osnabrück, Germany, September 2021), where it sold for €9,500 (about US$13,221 including buyer's fees). The catalog description^[1] noted,

"REICHSSILBERMÜNZEN, HESSEN, Ludwig III. 1848-1877. 2 Mark 1876. Sehr selten in dieser Erhaltung. Prachtexemplar. Fast Stempelglanz. (Germany, grand duchy of Hesse, Louis III, 1848-77, two mark of 1876. Very rare in this quality, choice example, about uncirculated.)"

Of the two major divisions of Hesse, Hesse-Cassel chose the wrong side in the Austro-Prussian war and found herself annexed to Prussia. Hesse-Darmstadt survived to become the Grand Duchy of plain Hesse. This two mark was issued 1876-77 only and is scarce despite the substantial mintage. The Darmstadt mint closed in 1882.

Recorded mintage: 202,108.

Specification: 11.11 g, 0.900 fine silver, reeded edge.

Catalog reference: KM 355, J. 66.

Source:

• Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
• Craig, William D., Germanic Coinages: Charlemagne through Wilhelm II, Mountain View, CA: 1954.
• Jaeger, Kurt, Die Deutschen Münzen seit 1871, Basel: Münzen und Medaillen AG, 1982.
• ^[1]Künker, Fritz Rudolf, Horst-Rudiger Künker, Ulrich Künker and Andreas Kaiser, Künker Auktion 354: Munzen und Medaillen aus Mittelalter und Neuzeit u. a. Braunschweig-Luneburg. Osnabrück: Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co., AG, 2021.

Link to:

• Anhalt 1876-A 2 mark
• Baden 1876-G 2 mark
• Bavaria 1876-D 2 mark
• Hamburg 1876-J 2 mark
• Mecklenburg-Schwerin 1876-A 2 mark
• Prussia 1876-A 2 mark
• Prussia 1876-C 2 mark
• Saxony 1876-E 2 mark
• Wurttemberg 1876-F 2 mark
• 1876 5 mark
• 1877 2 mark
• Coins and currency dated 1876