Catalog
21/2 Ducats - Aureus Magnus Second Vatican Council
| Issuer | Germany, Federal Republic of |
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| Year | 1963 |
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| Weight | 8.8 g |
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| Obverse description | Conjoined draped busts of Pope John XXIII and Pope Paul VI facing left, with the papal crossed-keys emblem depicted between them at the base of the effigies. The legend CONCILIUM VATICANUM arcs across the upper field, with IOH XXIII and the date 1962 to the left, and PAUL VI and the date 1963 to the right. The engraver's initials appear discreetly in the lower right field. The portrait style is finely modelled in high relief, characteristic of commemorative medallic art. |
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| Reverse description | A decorative six-armed cross fills the central field, with each arm terminating in stylised lily blossoms rendered in high relief. At the centre of the cross, within an ornate cartouche, appears the denomination IIS DUCAT. The fineness mark 980 is inscribed at the base of the cross. The circumferential legend PRO PROSPERITATE MUNDI arcs across the upper field, and AUREUS MAGNUS across the lower field, separated by small floral stops. |
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| Additional information |
The Second Vatican Council ran from October 1962 to December 1965, and this piece was struck during the council's second session in 1963 — the same year Pope John XXIII died and Paul VI assumed the papacy, inheriting the task of steering the council to its conclusion. The "Aureus Magnus" designation places it within a West German private medal and ducat tradition that had no legal tender status but was struck to recognized bullion coin weights for the collector and investment market.
The .980 fineness is notably higher than the standard .986 ducat purity, a deliberate commercial distinction made by the issuing house rather than a state mint.