Regensburg 1627 5 ducats Fr-2456a
This specimen was lot 42361 in Stack's Bowers Summer 2026 Global Showcase Auction (Pittsburgh, September 2026), where it did not sell. The catalog description[1] noted,
"Stunning 5 Ducats Commemorating the Foundation of the Church of the Holy Trinity, GERMANY. Regensburg. 5 Ducats, 1627. Free City. NGC MS-63+. Obverse: Perspective view of the church, with angels to left and right, holding palm frond and olive branch, respectively; personified trinity among the clouds above; Reverse: Legend in seven lines within border of 16 coats-of-arms and initials of the Protestant councilors. A gorgeously engraved multi-Ducat issue struck in commemoration of the laying of the foundation stone of the Trinity Church on 4 July 1627, featuring a charming rendition of the planned church opposite a neat and symmetrical ring of coats of arms with a Latin distich on the Holy Trinity. The Dominican church of Regensburg, which had been jointly used by local Protestants and Dominicans since 1563, was returned to the Dominicans in 1626; subsequently, the Protestant city council made the decision to build a new Protestant church. Today, the Church of the Holy Trinity (St. Trinitatis) remains one of the most important Baroque landmarks of the city.
An INCREDIBLE RARITY as an impressive 5 Ducats, with few examples arising to market in recent decades. Those that have been offered often feature wear, mounting, or holing, the present specimen an exception that may very well be the finest extant survivor of the type. Featuring an admirably Choice state of preservation for any multi-Ducat of this era, the watery surfaces glisten with resounding brilliance and feature a wonderfully sharp strike with a delightful frosty nature to the devices. A perhaps UNIQUE opportunity to acquire an example in such fine quality."
There is also a single ducat (Fr-2459) and a double ducat (Fr-2458).
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 17.45 g, 0.986 fine gold. This specimen 42 mm diameter, 17.42 g.
Catalog reference: Fr-2456a; cf. KM-58 (3 Ducats); cf. Plato-21/23 (silver Medal).
- 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.
- Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, Summer 2026 Global Showcase Auction, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2026.
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