11-05-2016 – 12-05-2016
Auction 67 and 68
Type collection of German talers, double guldens and double talers at Grün
Heidelberg Münzhandlung Herbert Grün produced two auction catalogs for its spring-auction. Auction 67 contains what we are used to from Grün: world coins, from antiquity to modern times, with a special focus on Germany.
Lot 235: NASSAU. Frederick William of Weilburg, 1788-1816. Konventionstaler 1815, younger head. Thun 224. AKS -. J. -. Of greatest rarity, being the only specimen available on the market! Extremely fine. Estimate: 50,000,- euros.
Virtually spectacular is the content of auction catalog 68. The type collection of German talers, double guldens and double talers was put together by a specialized collector. It is almost complete. A few pieces are missing, but only due to the fact, that these pieces haven’t appeared on the market in the last 40 years. All lots are characterized by their exquisite preservation. In fact, many pieces are most likely the best pieces on the market, and sometimes the only ones.
Auction 68: German talers, double guldens and double talers
In the morning of May 13th, 2016, 476 lots – from Anhalt-Bernburg to Württemberg – will be auctioned off in the Pfalzgrafensaal of the Europäische Hof Hotel in Heidelberg. They belong to a collection, which can only rarely be found. Curated by the Frankfurt coin dealer Herbert Spreitzer, it took the collector over 40 years to assemble all types of German talers, double guldens and double talers, which were minted in Germany between 1800 and 1872. He always chose the best quality available. And if he found a better specimen of a certain type, he would swap it for the inferior one.
The collection, therefore, is an ensemble only rarely seen on the market nowadays. Rarity linked to exquisite grades! Make a reservation now, in order to personally place your bids at the auction.
Lot 104: BAVARIA. Louis II, 1864-1886. Vereinsdoppeltaler 1865. Thun 101. AKS 172. J. 106. Beautiful patina. First Strike. Nearly FDC. Estimate: 12,500,- euros.
In the following, we can only mention a selection of a few especially outstanding pieces. A nearly proof first strike of a convention double taler of Louis II of Bavaria (estimate: 12,500 euros), an 1807 cassa taler of Joachim Murat, Grand Duke of Berg, extremely fine to proof (estimate: 10,000 euros), an 1801 extremely fine to proof convention taler of Charles William Ferdinand, Prince of Brunswick, minted shortly before the French annexation of Brunswick-Lüneburg in 1803 (estimate: 12,500 euros).
Lot 140: FRANKFURT. Double gulden 1848, “BERATHUNG Ü. GRÜNDUNG E. DEUTSCHEN PARLAMENTS”. Thun 134A. AKS 37var. J. p. 72. Of great rarity! Beautiful patina. First Strike. Nearly FDC. Estimate: 17,500,- euros.
The Frankfurt coins are especially characterized by their connection to the 1848 revolution. The extremely rare, nearly proof, 1848 double gulden on the counsel of the founding of a German parliament is a first strike (estimate: 17,500 euros). The AKS states the price of it with “LP”, which stands for collector’s price.
There is only a single specimen of an 1811 double taler with a reeded edge of Charles, Prince of Isenburg (estimate: 35,000 euros) on the market, just as a convention taler from Frederick William, Prince of Nassau, showing his youthful portrait (estimate: 50,000 euros).
Lot 236: NASSAU. Frederick William of Weilburg, 1788-1816. Konventionstaler 1815. Joint coinage on the visit of the mint of Ehrenbreitstein, smooth edge.Thun 225. AKS -. J. -. Showpiece of greatest rarity and fine grade. Mint state. Estimate: 50,000,- euros.
“LP” for collector’s price can also be read in the AKS about the freshly minted Nassau co-striking, which Frederick William, Prince of Nassau, emitted together with Frederick August, Duke of Nassau, to commemorate the visit of the mint of Ehrenbreitstein (estimate: 50,000 euros).
Lot 400: SAXE-COBURG-GOTHA. Ernest I, 1826-1844. Konventionstaler 1832, Gotha. Thun 360. AKS 72. J. 255. Very rare, only 304 specimens struck! First strike. Tiny hairlines. FDC. Estimate: 25,000,- euros.
Let us close with a very rare 1832 convention taler of Ernst I of Saxony-Coburg-Gotha, of which only 304 were minted. This proof specimen comes as a first strike and shows all details of the fresh die (estimate: 25,000 euros).
Anyone who is interested in the last strikings of pre-1871 Germany, before the beginning of the German Empire, should be aware, that an opportunity like this only comes along once in a collector’s life time: to buy the most rare pieces in the best of quality. This catalog will certainly become a standard reference and shouldn’t be missing in any numismatic library.
Both catalogs may be purchased for 12.50 euros at Heidelberg Münzhandlung Herbert Grün, Gaisbergstr. 40, 69115 Heidelberg; tel: : ++49 / 6221 / 65 297-0; fax: ++49 / 6221 / 65 297-29; email or viewed online here.