Schulman b.v.
Auction 375 6 Apr 2023
View prices realized
► Sale information
Find similar lots
German States - Thaler 1714 HCH, Silver, ANTON ULRICH 1704–1714, BRAUNSCHWEIG–WOLFENBÜTTEL Posthumous, commemorating his death. Cuirassed bust right. Rev. text.Welter 2304; Dav. 2124.Tied for finest known.
As an ardent admirer of Louis XIV, duke Anton Ulrich was well-known for his efforts to endow Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel with a more independent attitude in matters of the arts and with a more vigorous literary life. This obituary thaler attempts to pay tribute to this legacy. For one thing, the engraver explicitly stylizes Anton Ulrich as his French idol, bestowing the duke's bust with a typical French single-strap harness as well as an iconic coifed wig with tresses cascading over the shoulders. The design is in many ways very reminiscent of the cuirassed busts displayed on the écus of Louis XIV issued between 1672 and 1689.
Meanwhile, the reverse of this thaler pays homage to the long heroic and didactic novels written by duke Anton himself. Ulrich's novels often featured idealized heroes who embodied values that the duke considered important, such as mercifulness, generosity, and a well-versedness in state affairs. Unsurprisingly, it is precisely these values that are ascribed to the duke's character in the 16-line obituary on the reverse.
The mintage of commemorative thalers was intentionally kept low, as the Braunschweig mint wanted to ensure that they could be only acquired by those aristocrats who could vouch for the duke's artistic ideals. The coin was thus likely presented to an individual close to Ulrich's court.R Attractive light grey toning. PCGS MS62
As an ardent admirer of Louis XIV, duke Anton Ulrich was well-known for his efforts to endow Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel with a more independent attitude in matters of the arts and with a more vigorous literary life. This obituary thaler attempts to pay tribute to this legacy. For one thing, the engraver explicitly stylizes Anton Ulrich as his French idol, bestowing the duke's bust with a typical French single-strap harness as well as an iconic coifed wig with tresses cascading over the shoulders. The design is in many ways very reminiscent of the cuirassed busts displayed on the écus of Louis XIV issued between 1672 and 1689.
Meanwhile, the reverse of this thaler pays homage to the long heroic and didactic novels written by duke Anton himself. Ulrich's novels often featured idealized heroes who embodied values that the duke considered important, such as mercifulness, generosity, and a well-versedness in state affairs. Unsurprisingly, it is precisely these values that are ascribed to the duke's character in the 16-line obituary on the reverse.
The mintage of commemorative thalers was intentionally kept low, as the Braunschweig mint wanted to ensure that they could be only acquired by those aristocrats who could vouch for the duke's artistic ideals. The coin was thus likely presented to an individual close to Ulrich's court.R Attractive light grey toning. PCGS MS62