2017-09-16 Sat

In 1848, the winds of change across Europe created no less royal casualty than King Ludwig I of Bavaria.

Inspired by French supporters, who ushered in the Second Republic, German citizens from several ranks demanded more rights than the king had previously been willing to grant. So he abdicated the throne in favour of his son, Maximilian.

This event is depicted on a silver coin from 1848 that is being offered for sale in an October auction in Munich. Gorny and Mosch, which offers the coin during the firm’s Oct. 11 to 13 auctions, terms the coin a “geschichtsdoppeltaler,” or historical double taler.

The coin is part of a long series of commemorative pieces issued beginning in 1825. From those, 38 were issued during the reign of Ludwig I, according to John Davenport, writing in German Talers Since 1800. These pieces were denominated or called convention talers through 1835, after which time they were classified as double talers.

The obverse of the piece depicts a bust of King Ludwig I. And the reverse depicts the king passing the crown to his son.

“Designed by the engraver of the Munich mint, Carl Friedrich Voight, presents a striking commentary on events in Bavaria from 1825 to 1856,” Davenport wrote. “A number of these were not released until some years after the dates they bear.”

Davenport doesn’t describe in detail when talers of this type were released, whether that was amid the passions of an inflamed populace seeking justice or after the flames had died.

Fighters in the March Revolution in Germany wanted a unified Germany with a monarch as its head. However, divisions with some of the 38 other states explain why Germany did not unify until 1870.

On 19th March 1848, a sort of a revolution took place when revolutionaries marched in Berlin, waving the predecessor to today’s German flag, the tri-colour bands inspired by the French tri-colour flag of the nascent revolution.

On the reverse of the taler, an image of the new king being crowned is depicted and at the bottom ‘March 20’ is shown in German.

The auction house classifies the example in its auction as “Very rare,” a “first strike” and in Proof (fleur de coin) condition. The taler carries an estimate of €5,000 ($6,037).