Message:

<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Eduard, post: 3917698, member: 8959&quot;]I found this coin in an antique market in Brussels, Belgium back around 1980</p><p>It is a Hessen Doppelgulden dated 1848. Hessen-Darmstadt, Ludwig III. 1848-1877.</p><p><br /></p><p>It lay in my collection for many years. Over the years, I was puzzled that I never saw this date offered for sale in any of the many auction catalogues I received. This in spite of a relatively mundane catalogue valuation.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Back a few years ago, I approached a well known Auction House who informed me that the last recorded auction for this date was in <b>1895. </b>They immediately made an offer to buy it, or to at least put it up for auction. I did not take up the offer.</p><p><br /></p><p>Interestingly, an example from this date did come up for sale a little later, in 2015, where it realised a very handsome price. The auctioneer explained that this date had never been offered for sale before, this being the first time ever (not quite correct).</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>There are therefore 2 known/recorded examples of this date - the one sold in 2015, and this example. This could be explained by the fact that 1848 was a very momentous year in Hessen, Frankfurt, and in the German States as a whole, as it was a <b>Revolution Year. </b></p><p><b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_revolutions_of_1848–1849" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_revolutions_of_1848–1849" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_revolutions_of_1848–1849</a></b></p><p>Could the turmoil of that era could explain the rarity of this particular date?</p><p>we will never know.</p><p><br /></p><p>At any rate, a nice result from a leisurely stroll through an open air antique market -</p><p>you never know what you will find<img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie1" alt=":)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />.</p><p><br /></p><p>Please post your rare world coin cherry picks.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><br /></p><p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; [ATTACH=full]1032619[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]1032620[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

Your name or email address:

Do you already have an account?

• No, create an account now.
• Yes, my password is:
• Forgot your password?

Stay logged in