Minting Practice Before the Royal Mint
In Prague, gold ducats were minted only occasionally, whenever metal for coinage could be ensured; usually through the random purchase of gold scrap (pagament). The ducats were likely minted in selected goldsmith workshops, which also probably produced the dies. Due to this practice, we know only a sporadic series of ducats from the 1520s to the 1540s.
Masterpieces of the Early Bohemian Renaissance
Among these issues, the ducats from the second half of the 1530s stand out for their high artistic quality. The dies for the ducats from 1536–1538 were the work of an unknown, presumably Prague-based goldsmith. These are exquisite examples of early Bohemian Renaissance craftsmanship and rank among the most beautiful Bohemian coinage. Two of these extremely rare ducats, from the years 1536 and 1538, will be auctioned under numbers 54 and 55. The 1536 ducat is among the best-preserved known specimens.
An Exceptional Work by Jan Zlatník of Liboslav
Another beautiful Renaissance piece is the 1547 ducat, which will be auctioned under lot 58. The artistic execution of the coin convincingly demonstrates that the dies for this ducat were made by the Kuttenberg goldsmith Jan Zlatník of Liboslav, a longtime supplier of coin dies for the Kuttenberg mint. He provided dies from 1533 until the mid-1550s.
The engraving of individual letters and the depiction of the lion are almost identical to another beautiful and rare Bohemian coin from 1547—the Kuttenberg light Prague groschen. It is likely that Jan Zlatník of Liboslav produced dies only for this single year of Prague ducats. No ducats from other years using his dies are known. For this reason, the 1547 Prague ducat must be regarded as an exceptionally rare coin, owned by only a few fortunate collectors.
Auction lots – Jaroslav Kokolus Collection
Lot 54. Ducat 1536. Prague
Somewhat weakly struck. Extremely rare!
Grade: EF | EF — Starting price: €30,000
Lot 55. Ducat 1538. Prague
Scratches. Slightly wavy. Old label included. Very rare!
Grade: good VF | about EF — Starting price: €25,000
Lot 58. Ducat 1547. Prague
Slight mint-made crack. Mint lustre in the fields. Nice patina. Very rare!
Grade: EF | good EF — Starting price: €40,000
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