Austria 1786-A 4 ducats Fr-433
This specimen was lot 1415 in Künker Auction 425 (Osnabrück, July 2025), where it sold for €32,000 (about US$45,312 including buyers' fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"HABSBURGISCHE ERBLANDE-ÖSTERREICH · RÖMISCH-DEUTSCHES REICH, Joseph II., 1765-1790. 4 Dukaten 1786 A, Wien. IOSEPH · II · D · G · R · I · S · A · - GERM · HV · BO · REX · Geharnischtes Brustbild r. mit Lorbeerkranz, umgelegtem Mantel und dem Orden vom Goldenen Vlies, darunter Münzstättensignatur A//ARCH · AVST · D · BVRG · - LOTH · M · D · HET · 1786 · Gekrönter Doppeladler mit doppelt gekröntem mehrfeldigen Wappen auf der Brust, in den Fängen Schwert, Zepter und Reichsapfel, darunter Wertzahl (4).GOLD. Von größter Seltenheit. Nur wenige Exemplare geprägt. Winz. Randfehler, kl. Kratzer auf der Vorderseite, vorzüglich. Exemplar der Auktion H. D. Rauch 103, Wien 2017, Nr. 1872 und der Auktion Fritz Rudolf Künker 338, Osnabrück 2020, Nr. 3272. (Holy Roman Empire, Joseph II, 1765-80, four ducats of 1786, Vienna mint. Obverse: laureate, draped and armored bust right with Order chain, mintmark below; reverse: Crowned double headed eagle, sword and orb in its claws, supporting a double crowned manifold arms, value below. Extremely rare, with only a few known, minor edge flaws, light scratch on the obverse, extremely fine.)"
This type was struck in 1786 and is rare. This denomination would be minted extensively in later reigns, most recently in 1915.
Recorded mintage: unknown but not rare.
Specification: 14 g, 0.986 fine gold, this specimen 13,95 g.
Catalog reference: KM 1881, Fr-433; J. 24 a (unique?).
- Craig, William D., Germanic Coinages: Charlemagne through Wilhelm II, Mountain View, CA: 1954.
- 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.
- Herinek, Gerhard, Austria Münzkatalog: Munzen ab 1745 und Banknoten ab 1759, 49. Auflage, Vienna: Christine Steyrer Verlag, 2022.
- Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
- [1]Künker, Fritz Rudolf, Horst-Rudiger Künker, Ulrich Künker and Andreas Kaiser, Katalog 425: Gold coins from the Medieval and Modern Times, from the Mohr family collection, e.g. | Silver coins, e.g. highlights of medallic art | German coins after 1871, Osnabrück: Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co., AG, 2025.
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