1634 Gold Ducat Swedish Occupation NGC MS62

The 1634 Erfurt Gold Ducat was struck under Swedish occupation during the latter part of the Thirty Years' War.

The obverse depicts Gustavus Adolphus's laureate bust facing right, with the king shown in ornate armor with a ruffed collar. The Latin legend reads "GUSTAV. ADOLPH. D.G. SVEC. GOTH. VAND. R." indicating "Gustavus Adolphus, by the Grace of God King of Sweden, the Goths and the Vandals"

The reverse features a crowned coat-of-arms of Erfurt or Sweden (depending on the variety)Some varieties (Friedberg #923, KM#54) bear a crowned shield surrounded by the continuation of Gustavus's titles in Latin

Another scarce variety (Fr. #919, KM#63) displays a crown dividing the date "16-34" above a five-line inscription with a German motto from the Bible (John 10:11): "Ein gutter Hirte lässet sein Leben für die Schaff" (A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep)

These figures highlight how scarce MS62 or better examples are. Essentially, out of all survivors of the 1634 Swedish-occupation ducats, only a handful have ever graded MS, and MS62 is at the absolute elite level. This coin is one of only two in its class, or possibly unique, at MS62 at NGC.

ERFURT FR-923. The Finest Known! 3.46g