A broad, striking, very rare coin.
A double thaler of a Polish royal, Karol Ferdinand Vasa. Brother of John Casimir and Ladislaus IV, pretender to the crown, and bishop of Wroclaw, who actively exercised his minting rights. As Marek Folwarniak points out,"he left behind not only a huge estate, but also an interesting numismatic output," adding that Charles' minting activities both distinguished the variety of forms and were intended to highlight his condition and passion for collecting.
His minting can be divided into two groups. One of these groups was the minting from the time of his reign over the Duchy of Opole and Racibórz, an example of which we had at the last auction (3 krajcars 1654 sold for 17,700 zlotys). The second, rarer, is the Nysa minting, exemplified by this two-coin coin. It captures its character well, centered on a coarse thaler and ducat coin. According to Mark Folwarniak, made for collections, gifts and ceremonies, and not typically for monetary circulation.
This is the first time it has been offered at our auctions.
Quotations at auctions over the years singular.
Recommended.
Silver, diameter 48 mm, weight 53.62 g.
Obverse: bust above the date 1639; in the rim:
CARL FERD P P ET S EPS WRAT (Charles Ferdinand prince of Poland and Sweden, bishop of Wrocław).
Reverse: shields of the coat of arms of Ferdinand and the bishopric of Wrocław on a sceptre and pastoral, which are chained together. Above them the Vasa Snopek and the sun. In the rim:
OMNIS POTESTAS A DEO EST (All power comes from God).
