Catalog
21/2 Ducats - Aureus Magnus Rome Olympics
| Issuer | Germany, Federal Republic of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1960 |
| Type | Fantasy coin |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Central shield cartouche bearing the denomination inscription IIS DUCAT, set at the intersection of an elaborate eight-armed ornamental cross whose curved arms terminate in stylised fleur-de-lis and foliate motifs. The fineness mark 980 appears in the exergue below the cross. The circumferential legend PRO PROSPERITATE MUNDI arcs around the upper field, with AUREUS MAGNUS along the lower periphery, separated by small rosette stops. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Plain |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
West Germany issued this piece in 1960 to coincide with the Rome Summer Olympics, though it carries no official Olympic committee sanction — it was a private mint issue by Münze München rather than a Bundesbank release. The "Aureus Magnus" designation is essentially a marketing construction, linking the piece to Roman antiquity in a nod to the host city without any historical monetary precedent behind the name.
The 2½ ducat denomination itself is a revival archaism with no circulation function in the Federal Republic.