I have become quite enamored of the German States coinage of the 17th-19th C., there are some appealing designs and very low prices with the minors. This period was full of great men, famous battles, and just very interesting history. All of the good images are by RCToners (on my links page), all of the poor quality images are by me.
As for costs, most of these are priced at $25-500 in the market, however some of them do not show up in the marketplace more than once or twice a year so you have to be ready to jump on them. The 1855 Hamburg proof Skilling is a good example, this was priced under $200 when I purchased it, but it is the only one I have seen for sale, and was originally minted in a very small quantity.
German States, 1636 Regensburg Ducat, coronation of Ferdinand III as Holy Roman Emperor.
German States, 1675 CP Magdeburg 2/3 Taler, NGC AU58. A fairly scarce coin, it looks much better than the image. I really like the City Arms design on the obverse showing the city gate and towers. Magdeburg was founded by Charlemagne in 805.
German States, 1694Bavaria Taler, NGC 62, DAV 6099. Maximillian III Emanuel as Duke of Bavaria and Prince Elector of the Holy Roman Empire. A believer in Enlightened Absolutism (also known as Enlightened Despotism) he did much to advance the welfare of his people, at one point selling off the crown jewels in order to pay for corn to be distributed. This particular design has an extraordinary Madonna and Child reverse.
German States, 1698 Prussia (Duchy) 18 Groschen, NGC 63. Frederick III as Elector of Brandenburg and Duke of Prussia. After supporting Leupold I , Archduke of Austria and Holy Roman Emperor, in the War of the Spanish Succession, Frederick convinced the Emperor to elevate Prussia to a Kingdom and his status to "King in Prussia" as Frederick I.
German States, 1708 HB Brunswick Lunburg 4 Marian Groschen, NGC62.
German States, 1711 Frankfurt 1 1/2 Ducats (Silver), NGC 62. Commemorating the Accension and Election of Karl VI as Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia etc.
German States, 1718 Brunswick-Luneburg-Calenburg- Hannover 3 Mariengroschen, PCGS AU 58. Showing George I as King of England. Not really a rare coin but almost impossible to find in uncirculated.
German States, 1735 Brandenburg 1/12 Taler, NGC 62. Commemorating the death of George Friedrich Karl, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth. This in an interesting design on the obverse with a dove ascending to the sun.
German States, 1745 Frankfurt 3/4 Ducat (Silver), NGC 63. Commemorating the coronation of Francis the 1st as Margrave of Frankfurt. Normally the ducats and fractionals were minted in gold, however many of the commemorative pieces were also minted in silver and, rarely, copper.
German States, 1755 B Saxe Gotha Altenburg 1/24 Thaler, MS62. Attractive light toning, celebrating the 100th Ann. of the Peace of Augsburg.
German States, 1757 Bavaria, Maximilian III Joseph Taler, NGC AU55. A really lovely coin despite the cracked planchet left of the portrait, and currently the highest graded for the date.
German States, 1757 B Brandenburg-Bayreuth 1/6 Taler, NGC 64. None listed in the population reports.
German States, 1765 SR Nurnberg Taler, AU55. A very attractive city view piece with nice light toning. Surprisingly this is the highest of 9 graded at NGC as of December 2011.
German States, 1774 BN Frankfurt Kreuzer, NGC 62. A very rare pattern in gold, KM Pn-58. A lovely coin, I really love the tiny little city view engraved on these.
German States, 1775 Bavaria 1/2 Taler, MS 63. A well struck and attractively toned piece.
German States, 1778 Bavaria Taler, really lovely light tone on this example.
German States, 1780 Regensburg Taler, Dav 2627, KM 436, a lovely example of the city view talers. Raw uncirculated.
German States, 1783 Bavaria 20 Kr., PCGS 62. This example has adjustment marks (filed to get the weight correct prior to striking), and the reverse die was nearly finished when this coin was struck. None the less a decent example, I particularly like the Madonna reverse used on the Bavarian pieces.
German States, 1789 Lubeck Schilling, AU53. A rare striking in gold, currently the only one graded.
German States, 1792 Frankfurt 1 1/4 Ducat (Silver), NGC 63. Ex Willy Fuchs collection this commemorates the coronation of Franz II as Holy Roman Emperor. While the obverse design is very spare I really like it.
1792 (MC) Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel Taler, NGC 62. Not a rare coin but very difficult to find uncirculated. This one with deep and original looking toning.
German States, Stolberg-Stolberg 1796 2/3 Taler, NGC 62. A very tough coin in uncirculated, and with a very attractive stag on it. Minted in pewter instead of silver.
German States, Wurtzburg 3 Kreuzer, MS 62, very attractive toning.
German States, Hamburg Free City, 1805, ok, not a coin but a medal, MS63 Proof-Like. A fantastic design this commemorates the 1000th year of the founding of "Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg". The modern city of Hamburg was actually founded in 806 by Charlemagne who ordered a castle to built on the site (called Hammaburg), and previously listed by Claudius Ptolemy as the city of Treva. In 1189 Frederick I (Barbarossa) granted the city an Imperial Charter with the title of Imperial Free City. Hamburg became a member of the trading guild known as the Hanseatic League in 1241, and in 1806 with the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire became a sovereign state within the German Confederation which was confirmed in 1815 at the Vienna Congress, after the defeat of Napoleon. 39.2 mm diameter.
German States, 1797 B Brandenburg Ans Bayreuth 6 Kreuzer, MS65.
German States, 1797 Hamburg 8 Schillings, MS64. Lightly toned and not a common piece.
German States, 1807 Brunswick-Luneburg-Calenburg-Hannover 1/6 Taler, MS62. A fairly scarce one year type. George I of England became Elector in 1698, passing through his line until George III took over in 1760. The name was reduced to Hannover when it was made a Kingdom in 1814, note that the obverse of this piece gives only his title as King of Britain.
German States, 1807 Hamburg Dreiling, a rare off metal strike in Gold, MS62.
German States, 1808 Anhanlt Bernburg 2/3 Taler, MS64. Tougher than one would think to find in high grade, this one currently the finest graded. I do love their bear design.
German States, 1807 1/6th Taler, with titles of George III as King of England.
German States, 1819 Kingdom of Hannover 3 Mariengroschen MS65. Variety with L.A.B. for mintmasters initials, slightly scarcer than the L.B. variety.
German States, Brunswich Wolfenbuttel, 1820 MC 1/24 Taler. Raw uncirculated.
German States, 1825 S Saxony 1 Pfennig, PF65BR. A rare example of an early proof with attractive blue and violet toning.
German States, (1839) Frankfurt 1 Kruezer, NGC 66. In spite of the high grade these were apparantly saved by many, population 7/7. The reverse on these is very nice, with a view of the city, I chose this particular coin because there is a very strong clashed die with most of the obverse eagle showing on the reverse.
German States, Brandenburg-Prussia, undated Freidrich Wilhelm IV 1840-1861. Bronze medal, 42mm, ref. Henckel 2464, Marianburg 4181. A lovely design on this reverse.
German States, 1840 Baden 6 Kreuzer NGC 67, population 1/0. I particularly like the Shield device on the obverse of this coin. A reasonably common coin in lower grades it becomes fairly scarce in grades of 65 and above. This one has much better luster than my poor photo shows.
German States, 1852 Anhalt-Bernburg, Taler, MS63. A lovely coin for a 63, mintage of 10,000 and tied for finest graded.
German States, 1853 Wurttemburg Kreuzer, NGC 67, population 1/0. Another fairly common minor coin in an uncommon state of preservation, mostly brilliant.
German States, 1855 A Mecklenburg-Strelitz 1/48 Taler (Schilling), NGC PF64. A very scarce to rare proof minor, attractively toned, population 1/0.
German States, 1855 A Hamburg 1 Sechsling (Shilling), NGC PF65 population 1/0. A rare issue in proof, this is the only one graded by NGC.
German States, 1855 Bavaria 2 Gulden NGC MS63, commemorating the restoration of the Madonna Column.
.German States, 1858 A Schaumburg-Lippe 4 Pfenning, NGC PF64 Red. With a estimated mintage of only 50-100 they are very scarce to rare in proof.
German States, 1858 A Schaumburg-Lippe 1 Silber Groschen. NGC PF66, another rare proof minor, the only one currently graded. This coin has particularly attractive toning
German States, 1861 A Mecklenburg-Schwerin 1/48th Taler, PCGS PF64.
Another of the rare German States proof minors. This one with exquisite
toning.
German States, 1861 A Prussia Silber Groschen, NGC PF 64, population 1/0. Another very scarce to rare issue of the German States proof minors . This one essentially bright white with very faint tooning starting in the fields, strong mirrors and light cameo contrast on the devices, although not enough to earn the cameo designation. The Prussian pieces are considered to be the most common of the proof minors with estimates ranging from 25-100.
German States, 1861 A Anhalt Bernburg 2 1/2 Silber Groschen, a very scarce proof.
German States, 1862 A Arnhalt Bamberg Thaler, MS66. With a mintage of 20,000 this is not a rare coin, but it has taken a long time for me to find a high grade piece.
1862 A Prussia 2 1/2 Silber Groschen, NGC 67. The large scratch on the reverse is on the slab, not the coin.
1862 A Prussia 2 1/2 Silber Groschen, NGC 67. The large scratch on the reverse is on the slab, not the coin.
German States, 1862 Frankfurt Shooting Festival, in white metal with some hairlines on the reverse.
German States, 1862 Nassau Kreuzer, PCGS 65RB, population 1/0 at PGCS and 0/0 at NGC. I like the shield design which is why I purchased this one.
German States, 1865 B Hannover 1 Groschen, NGC 66 population 1/0. Another one I like just for the design with the rearing horse. This one is very crusty with reddish-brown and gold toning.
German States, 1865 B Hannover 1 Thaler. Commemorating the 50th anniversary of Union with Frisia, NGC PF65 Cameo. A very rare coin in proof.
German States, 1869 Saxe-Gotha-Coburg 1/6 Taler, NGC PF64 with light original toning. Population 1/0, a very scarce to rare coin in proof. This was issued to commemorate the 25th year of the Reign of Duke Ernst II.
German States, 1869 C Prussia 2 1/2 Silbergroschen, NGC PF64, an extremely rare proof from the Cleve mint.
German States, 1869 C Prussia 3 Pfennig (120th Taler), NGC PF64 RB, population 1/1. Another of the very scarce to rare proof minors.
German States, 1870 A Prussia 1 Silber Groschen, NGC 68, population 1/0. Brilliant and the highest graded in the series so far.
German States, 1871 Saxony Taler, NGC 66. The next group are all commememoratives of the victory of Prussia and its German States allies in the 1870 war against France. This war led to the unification of Germany under King Wilhelm of Prussia, and the end of the Second Empire in France.
German States, 1871 Wurtemburg Taler, NGC64. Commemorates victory in the Franco-Prussian war. Muted gold and grey toning.
German States, 1871 Prussia Taler, NGC 62. Commemorating victory in the Franco-Prussian war. A nice crusty look, the colors are muted which I like, others may prefer really bright colors.
Geman States, 1871 Bremen Victory Taler, NGC 65.
German States, 1871 Bavaria Victory Taler, PCGS 64. A really superb coin for a 64, a few light hairlines on the obverse but no major marks at all.
German States, 1871 Bavaria Madonna Taler. PCGS 66 and the finest graded, a really superb reverse design on these. A common coin in mid grade but much tougher than it should be in 65 and above.
German States, 1888 A Prussia 5 Marks of Friedrich III, NGC 65.
1889 Germany, white metal medal, commemorating the Wendelstein Chapel, a really lovely Madonna and Child on this reverse.
1895 Germany, silver medal commemorating Sleshwig Nord See canal, proof, raw, and deeply toned.
Germany, 1928 silver proof medal commemorating the restoration of Cologne Cathedral, 36mm. Cologne Cathedral was started in 1248, but not finished until around 1880. This medal was issued in 1928 when the restoration started.NGC 63, and very harshly graded.