21/2 Ducats - Aureus Magnus Alexander

The "Aureus Magnus Alexander" is a privately issued gold piece produced by a West German commercial mint — not a state-authorized currency. These pieces were marketed in the late 1960s alongside a wave of similar "collector" ducats that exploited a legal grey area in West German law permitting private gold coin production provided the pieces bore no legal-tender denomination. The 2½ ducat denomination is a deliberate historical affectation, invoking the old Holy Roman Empire unit without any actual monetary standing.

The .980 fineness follows the traditional ducat standard observed since the Venetian gold ducat of the 13th century.