Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel 1583 thaler Dav-9064
The first specimen was lot 55402 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Pittsburgh, PA, August 2023), where it sold for $552. The catalog description[1] noted, "GERMANY. Brunswick-Luneburg: Wolfenbuttel. "Light" Taler, 1583. Goslar Mint. Julius. PCGS EF-45. Comes with Kunker auction tag. From the Robert C. Knepper Collection. Ex: Kunker (6/2001) Lot # 615." The second specimen was lot 3482 in Künker Auction 426 (Osnabrück, July 2025), where it sold for €380 (about US$538 including buyers' fees). The catalog description[2] noted,
"BRAUNSCHWEIG-WOLFENBÜTTEL, FÜRSTENTUM Julius, 1568-1589. Reichstaler 1583, Goslar. Lichttaler. Hübsche Patina, sehr schön. (Germany, duchy of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Julius 1568-89, "light" thaler of 1583, Goslar mint. Handsome patina, very fine.)"
This type was issued 1583-86 and is fairly common for the period. The so-called "light" thaler refers to the candle in the wild man's hand, not the coin's weight. The reverse legend, "Aliis inserviendo consumor", translates as "I am consumed by serving others."
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: silver, the second specimen 29,04 g.
Catalog reference: Dav-9064, KM MB190; Welter-578.
- Davenport, John S., German Talers, 1500-1600, Frankfurt am Main, Numismatischer Verlag P. N. Schulten, 1979.
- Nicol, N. Douglas, Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of German Coins, 1501-Present, 3rd ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2011.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, August 2023 Global Showcase Auction, World & Ancient Coins, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2023.
- [2]Künker, Fritz Rudolf, Horst-Rudiger Künker, Ulrich Künker and Andreas Kaiser, eLive Premium Auction 426: European and German Coins and Medals from the 16th to the 20th century, Osnabrück: Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co., AG, 2025.
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