Brandenburg-Prussia. Friedrich Wilhelm gold Ducat 1643-DK AU53 NGC, Königsberg (Królewiec) mint, KM215, Fr-2254, Marienburg-1558. FRID • WILH • D • G • MAR • BRA • S • R • I • ARC • E • EL •, bust of Friedrich Wilhelm 3/4 facing / • MONE: NOVA AUREA DUCIS PRUSSIAE, arms surmounted by the electoral cap; 16-43 across fields. An extremely rare ducat produced during the reign of the "Great Elector" who helped found the Hohenzollern dynasty, and the only recorded ducat from the mint of Königsberg (modern-day Kaliningrad) to feature a facing portrait. Though admittedly minorly bent, the coin presents an admirable portrait of Friedrich Wilhelm, virtually the whole of the stamp captured by virtue of the coin's slightly oversized, irregular flan, allowing for full appreciation of the design. Reportedly the only known example in private hands, the last auction appearance of the type occurred as part of M. Frankiewicz's collection in 1930, a piece which is believed to have been lost during the Second World War.

HID09801242017

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