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March Signature Sale 3096 25-27 Mar 2021
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German States
Jülich-Berg. Johann Wilhelm von Pfalz-Neuburg gold Medallic 25 Ducat ND (c. 1678) AU55 NGC, Düsseldorf mint, KM-Unl., Fr-Unl., cf. Exter-378 (weight of 6-1/8 Loth [89.52gm]), von Schluthess-Rechberg Collection-4332 (RRRR; 3-1/2 Taler), Kull, "Eine goldene thalerförmige Medaille Johann Wilhelms" (Monatsblatt der Numismatischen Gesellschaft in Wien 1, 1891), pp. 71-72 (possibly citing this coin). 56mm. 86.51gm. By Nikolaus Longerich. An utterly fantastic "Schaustück" (presentation piece) from the reign Johann Wilhelm, a well-known patron of the arts and numismatics ("Münzfreund"), and produced in celebration of his (first) marriage to Archduchess Anna Josepha of Austria, daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand III, in 1678. A Duke whose regular issue coinage is incredibly scarce, the Standard Catalog of World Coins lists nearly every entry under his reign simply as "Rare."
Knowledge of this product of Longerich did not emerge until the publishing of volume 2 of Friedrich Exter's study of the Palatine coinage in the Churfürstliches Medaillen Museum in Mannheim in 1771, where he recorded an "immensely rare medal of 6-1/8 Loth" (pg. 475), which now resides in the Royal Coin Cabinet in Munich. A second example, described as a 3-1/2 Taler, was auctioned in the second part of the Ritter von Schluthess-Rechberg'sche Münz- und Medaillen-Sammlung sold by Erbstein in 1869. Both of these specimens, however, were executed in silver, and it was not until a short article by J. V. Kull was published in the 1891 volume 1 of the Monatsblatt der Numismatischen Gesellschaft in Vienna, that the existence of a gold piece with the weight of 25 Ducats emerged. According to our research, it does not appear that an example has come up for auction in recent memory, if at all, though the consignor reportedly knew of one other specimen. What is more, the piece offered here has suffered none of the damage so often incurred by such large and treasured celebratory pieces--its surfaces free of punctures, plugs, harsh cleaning or tooling while just a spot of red wax rests in the curls of the duke's hair, likely a result of its use for a plate piece in a very old collection. Needless to say, a unique opportunity on all counts.
https://coins.ha.com/itm/german-states/julich-berg/german-states-julich-berg-johann-wilhelm-von-pfalz-neuburg-gold-medallic-25-ducat-nd-c-1678-au55-ngc-/a/3096-30250.s?type=CoinArchives3096
HID02906262019
© 2020 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved
Estimate: 50000-75000 USD
Jülich-Berg. Johann Wilhelm von Pfalz-Neuburg gold Medallic 25 Ducat ND (c. 1678) AU55 NGC, Düsseldorf mint, KM-Unl., Fr-Unl., cf. Exter-378 (weight of 6-1/8 Loth [89.52gm]), von Schluthess-Rechberg Collection-4332 (RRRR; 3-1/2 Taler), Kull, "Eine goldene thalerförmige Medaille Johann Wilhelms" (Monatsblatt der Numismatischen Gesellschaft in Wien 1, 1891), pp. 71-72 (possibly citing this coin). 56mm. 86.51gm. By Nikolaus Longerich. An utterly fantastic "Schaustück" (presentation piece) from the reign Johann Wilhelm, a well-known patron of the arts and numismatics ("Münzfreund"), and produced in celebration of his (first) marriage to Archduchess Anna Josepha of Austria, daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand III, in 1678. A Duke whose regular issue coinage is incredibly scarce, the Standard Catalog of World Coins lists nearly every entry under his reign simply as "Rare."
Knowledge of this product of Longerich did not emerge until the publishing of volume 2 of Friedrich Exter's study of the Palatine coinage in the Churfürstliches Medaillen Museum in Mannheim in 1771, where he recorded an "immensely rare medal of 6-1/8 Loth" (pg. 475), which now resides in the Royal Coin Cabinet in Munich. A second example, described as a 3-1/2 Taler, was auctioned in the second part of the Ritter von Schluthess-Rechberg'sche Münz- und Medaillen-Sammlung sold by Erbstein in 1869. Both of these specimens, however, were executed in silver, and it was not until a short article by J. V. Kull was published in the 1891 volume 1 of the Monatsblatt der Numismatischen Gesellschaft in Vienna, that the existence of a gold piece with the weight of 25 Ducats emerged. According to our research, it does not appear that an example has come up for auction in recent memory, if at all, though the consignor reportedly knew of one other specimen. What is more, the piece offered here has suffered none of the damage so often incurred by such large and treasured celebratory pieces--its surfaces free of punctures, plugs, harsh cleaning or tooling while just a spot of red wax rests in the curls of the duke's hair, likely a result of its use for a plate piece in a very old collection. Needless to say, a unique opportunity on all counts.
https://coins.ha.com/itm/german-states/julich-berg/german-states-julich-berg-johann-wilhelm-von-pfalz-neuburg-gold-medallic-25-ducat-nd-c-1678-au55-ngc-/a/3096-30250.s?type=CoinArchives3096
HID02906262019
© 2020 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved
Estimate: 50000-75000 USD