POLAND. Lithuania. 10 Ducats, 1618. Vilnius Mint. Sigismund III. PCGS Genuine--Plugged, AU Details. Fr-4; H-Cz-7478 (R7); Kop-3570 (R8); Kur-2191 (R8); Gum-1430. Weight: 34.67 gms. Obverse: Crowned and enrobed bust of Sigismund III right; Reverse: Crowned coat-of-arms with three crowns in uppermost right quadrant. Delivering an impressive heft and superb appeal, this Vilnius 10 Ducats could impress even the most spoilt of numismatic eyes. An important piece, and one of the few remaining of this type, this example is plated in Dutkowskis <em>Zloto czasow dynastii Wazow, </em>and the type has been off the secondary collector market for more than two decades according to our research. All of this should place this piece near the top of any Polish collectors wish list.
One is immediately drawn to the large die crack on the obverse at approximately 9 oclock when looking at this piece. Some pronounced strike doubling is also seen, with particular force in the reverse legends. As PCGS notes, this example is plugged, a fault that is visible near 12 oclock. The plug is rather small, and hidden amongst the margins, with its presence being confirmed by a different tone to the gold. Even with this fault, the present example is strongly detailed, and bears no excessive circulation or handling. 10 Ducats from Sigismund III are amongst the most popular of all world gold coins, and we expect this example to be no different. From the Anthony J. Taraszka Collection.
Ex: Ahlstrom 63 (04/2001) Lot #1802.
