Previews and Reviews
Berlin Auction Sale 418: Preview
701 lots with a total estimate of 10 million euros: anyone who can do the math knows what that means. We present our flagship sale, which – as always – will be held in the context of the World Money Fair. The highlights of several collections will be sold at this auction. Look forward to rarities from the time of the Thirty Years’ War and from the world of medals. The spectrum ranges from a portrait denarius of Charlemagne to gold multiples and gnadenpfennigs. No matter what you collect, the catalog is well worth a look – even if you cannot afford to purchase all these treasures. Of course, the estimates reflect the importance of these pieces and are therefore mostly in the four-figure range. Other estimates are in the three-, five-, and six-figure range.
But no matter your budget, if you love coins, you will surely be delighted to see such rare pieces in such perfect quality!
1.
Minted History of the Thirty Years’ War and the Peace of Westphalia
The auction begins with the second part of the collection of a German manufacturer and history enthusiast comprising coins and medals from the time of the Thirty Years’ War. The first part of this collection was successfully auctioned by us on 23 September 2024 as part of auction 410. The 436 lots had an estimate of 4.25 million euros and sold for 7.5 million euros. This did not come as a surprise to connoisseurs: gold coins and multiple talers of perfect quality are currently fetching record prices. It would therefore not be surprising, if the top pieces of this collection, which will now be offered in the second part, generated considerably more than their estimate of 3.3 million euros.
Experts will appreciate the many rarities, the multiple talers and multiple ducats! Any writer tasked with selecting individual pieces to highlight in an auction preview will be spoilt for choice! But allow me to make things easier and let a few images speak for themselves.
POLEN KÖNIGREICH Sigismund III., 1587-1632. 10 Dukaten 1629, Bromberg.
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POLEN DANZIG Stadt. 8 Dukaten 1644,
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SCHWEIZ BASEL Stadt. 10 Dukaten o. J. (erste Hälfte des 17. Jahrhunderts).
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RÖMISCH-DEUTSCHES REICH Friedrich von der Pfalz (der Winterkönig), 1619-1621. 10 Dukaten 1620, Prag.
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BRANDENBURG Georg Wilhelm, 1619-1640. Dicker vierfacher Reichstaler 1628, Königsberg.
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BRAUNSCHWEIG UND LÜNEBURG BRAUNSCHWEIG-LÜNEBURG-CELLE Christian, Bischof von Minden, 1611-1633. Löser in Gold zu 20 Dukaten o. J. (1611-1633), Winsen an der Luhe.
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SACHSEN Johann Georg I., 1615-1656. 18 Dukaten 1627, Dresden.
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SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN HOLSTEIN-SCHAUENBURG Ernst III., 1601-1622. 10 Dukaten o. J., Altona.
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WALLENSTEIN Albrecht, 1623-1634, Herzog von Friedland. 10 Dukaten 1631 (Jahreszahl im Stempel aus 1630 geändert), Jitschin.
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2.
An Unique Ensemble of Gnadenpfennigs
The term “gnadenpfennig” is used by numismatists to refer to a group of heavy gold coins with an elaborate contemporary mount, added to allow the owner to wear the specimen on a necklace or a headpiece. Such gnadenpfennigs were badges of honor given by princes to their most important officials and councilors. The possession of a gnadenpfennig of one or several rulers was a coveted symbol of status and privilege, especially for imperial knights. That is why people liked to wear them on portraits. In fact, very few of these precious objects have survived to this day. And that should come as no surprise. These coins were objects of daily use and therefore subject to wear and tear. In addition, they lost much of their prestige after the death of the prince depicted on them. It is therefore likely that many gnadenpfennigs were later melted down. Only a few of them still exist today. Künker is proud to be able to offer some of them in its Berlin Auction Sale. Here are a few selected examples.
SCHWEDEN KÖNIGREICH Gustav II. Adolf, 1611-1632. Ovales, goldenes Kleinod 1631,
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BAYERN HERZOGTUM Maximilian I., 1598-1651. Goldener Gnadenpfennig o. J. (1623),
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SPANIEN KÖNIGREICH Felipe II., 1556-1598. Goldener Gnadenpfennig o. J. (vermutlich spätere Anfertigung),
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3.
Masterpieces of Medallic Art
Are you fascinated by medals? Then you should definitely take a close look at the Berlin Auction catalog, which features the finest and most beautiful medals created between the Renaissance and the 19th century. The medals are from several collections that complement each other. One of them belonged to the German manufacturer and history enthusiast who also created the collection of numismatic issues from the Thirty Years’ War.
PREUSSEN Friedrich Wilhelm IV., 1840-1861. Goldmedaille zu 50 Dukaten 1851,
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PREUSSEN Wilhelm I., 1861-1888. Goldmedaille zu 120 Dukaten 1871,
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ERZGEBIRGE Goldmedaille zu 10 Dukaten 1534,
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SACHSEN-GOTHA Friedrich II., 1691-1732. Silbermedaillon zu 7 Reichstalern o. J. (1710),
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RÖMISCH-DEUTSCHES REICH Karl V., 1519-1558. Silbermedaille 1521,
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RÖMISCH-DEUTSCHES REICH Karl V., 1519-1558. Silbergußmedaillon o. J. (1550er Jahre),
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FRANKREICH KÖNIGREICH Napoléon I, 1804-1814, 1815. Goldmedaille 1806,
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RÖMISCH-DEUTSCHES REICH Leopold I., 1657-1705. Goldmedaille zu 3 Dukaten 1683,
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INDIEN Victoria, 1837-1891. Silbergußmedaille o. J. (um 1890),
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4.
World Rarities in Gold and Silver
No matter what field you are interested in, auction 418 features the very coin that could become a centerpiece of your collection. The offer ranges from Charlemagne to Elizabeth II of England. There are treasures from the German States, Europe, Asia and the United States of America, all of which have just two things in common: they are extremely rare and of above-average quality.
HAMBURG STADT Portugalöser zu 10 Dukaten o. J. (1578-1582).
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NÜRNBERG STADT 6 Dukaten 1698,
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PADERBORN BISTUM Hermann Werner von Wolff-Metternich zur Gracht, 1683-1703. 6 Dukaten 1694, Neuhaus.
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RÖMISCH-DEUTSCHES REICH Leopold I., 1657-1705. 10 Dukaten 1690 KB, Kremnitz.
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FRANKREICH/KAROLINGER Karl der Große, 768-814. Denar, Besançon;
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FRANKREICH KÖNIGREICH Louis XV, 1715-1774. Ecu au bandeau 1740 A, Paris.
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SCHWEIZ BASEL Stadt. 10 Dukaten 1741,
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CHINA Allgemeine Prägungen. 1 Dollar o. J. (1908), Tientsin.
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5.
Russian Treasures
Collectors of Russian coins will find an interesting selection of extremely rare pieces. There are 64 lots to choose from, ranging from issues of Peter the Great to that of Tsar Nicholas II. Many of the pieces are of particular historical interest, for example a “Trubetskoy ruble”, created after the model of the 1825 Constantine ruble for the Russian consul in Marseille. Trubetskoy is said to have tried to sell these rubles as genuine Constantine rubles at the time. At least as exciting is a gold medal commemorating the landmark peace with Persia in 1828, which led to the establishment of an Armenian district under Russian rule. Thousands of Armenians from the Iranian and Ottoman Empires found a new home there.
RUSSLAND KAISERREICH Peter I., der Große, 1682-1725. Dukat 1712, Moskau, Roter Münzhof.
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RUSSLAND KAISERREICH Konstantin I., 1825. Silbermedaille o. J. (mit Gravur 1873 im Rand), von Rod. Kilchenmann, St. Petersburg.
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RUSSLAND KAISERREICH Nikolaus I., 1825-1855. Goldmedaille zu 50 Dukaten 1828,
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