NEWP: 1484. Austria 1/2 Guldiner
Zohar
Posts: 6,713 ✭✭✭✭✭
1484 Austria. Holy Roman Empire. Archduke Sigismund (1446-1490) 1/2 Guldiner. The first large silver issue of the Hall mint. Levinson-IV-45a; Frey-261; Schulten-4425. Moeser & Dworachak 67; Moser & Tursky-60. Obv: Crowned, draped, and armored bust. Rev: Armored knight on horse. The single second finest certified on either the NGC or PCGS population reports, only one finer in PCGS AU-55. Beautifully preserved and attractive, this early dated issue boasts boldly struck devices with remaining underlying luster in the protected areas. This gently handled example offers lovely rich slate patina with hints of iridescence in the crevasses lending to its originality and pleasing appearance. Very rare in this high state of preservation. PCGS AU-53.
The 1484 ½ guldiner was struck in Tyrol under Sigismund, Archduke of Austria, a ruler known for leveraging rich local silver mines to transform European coinage. Produced at the Hall Mint, it represents one of the earliest large silver coins intended to match the value of gold currency—specifically, half a gold gulden.
This coin belongs to the first generation of “guldengroschen,” marking a critical shift from small medieval silver pieces to larger, standardized high-value coins. It reflects the moment when abundant silver made it possible to move toward a silver-based monetary system for major transactions, laying the groundwork for the later taler.
Numismatically, the 1484 ½ guldiner is significant as a true proto-taler: rare, historically pivotal, and part of the direct lineage that ultimately led to the dollar.
TalerUniverse.com is a curated numismatic project dedicated to the silver talers, crowns, and medals of the Habsburg Empire and the Holy Roman Empire, spanning the 16th–18th centuries. The collection emphasizes historically significant issues, rare mint varieties, and high-grade NGC/PCGS examples, presented with detailed historical context, scholarly references, and high-resolution photography. TalerUniverse aims to serve both as a private collection showcase and a growing reference resource for collectors, researchers, and students of early-modern European coinage.
Comments
Fantastic!
Lovely writeup and stunning coin!
Congrats @Zohar !! Haven't you visited the Hall mint? What cool numismatic history!
My current "Box of 20"
I did visit and you still see the original presses and dies including for this early date, Highly recommended!
TalerUniverse.com is a curated numismatic project dedicated to the silver talers, crowns, and medals of the Habsburg Empire and the Holy Roman Empire, spanning the 16th–18th centuries. The collection emphasizes historically significant issues, rare mint varieties, and high-grade NGC/PCGS examples, presented with detailed historical context, scholarly references, and high-resolution photography. TalerUniverse aims to serve both as a private collection showcase and a growing reference resource for collectors, researchers, and students of early-modern European coinage.
Wow, what a coin, lovely!
Love it!
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
Beautiful piece.
Terrific coin
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
The 53 is topped by one AU-55 graded coin which in my eyes looks lesser - WDYT?
TalerUniverse.com is a curated numismatic project dedicated to the silver talers, crowns, and medals of the Habsburg Empire and the Holy Roman Empire, spanning the 16th–18th centuries. The collection emphasizes historically significant issues, rare mint varieties, and high-grade NGC/PCGS examples, presented with detailed historical context, scholarly references, and high-resolution photography. TalerUniverse aims to serve both as a private collection showcase and a growing reference resource for collectors, researchers, and students of early-modern European coinage.
In looking at the images, I suspect the 55 has surfaces that gave the coin a bump even though the 53 has the better strike.
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
Perhaps even though the reverse fields and wear on horse are evident. Thank you,
TalerUniverse.com is a curated numismatic project dedicated to the silver talers, crowns, and medals of the Habsburg Empire and the Holy Roman Empire, spanning the 16th–18th centuries. The collection emphasizes historically significant issues, rare mint varieties, and high-grade NGC/PCGS examples, presented with detailed historical context, scholarly references, and high-resolution photography. TalerUniverse aims to serve both as a private collection showcase and a growing reference resource for collectors, researchers, and students of early-modern European coinage.
Most of the missing detail on the horse and rider reflect the weak strike. The pattern of wear on both the obverse and reverse, in my view, supports that the coin was weakly struck coin and/or a later die state.
Please keep in mind that I am just offering a plausible explanation and basis for the 55 grade.
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
I agree with @coinkat 's hypothesis. If the TrueViews are from different "eras" they can also be hard to compare.
My current "Box of 20"
Incredible addition, Zohar. Eye appeal far exceeds the AU-55 example. These early date pieces are amongst my favorites in your catalogue.
@Zohar , your eyes are correct, imho your piece is way superior, the 55 looks to me a 50, and that's being nice, so you can easily rest assured yours is the highest graded
Nice stuff 👍