Catalog
21/2 Ducats - Aureus Magnus Theodor Heuss
| Issuer | Germany, Federal Republic of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1959 |
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| Currency | Aureus Magnus |
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| Obverse description | Left-facing bust of Theodor Heuss, first President of the Federal Republic of Germany, portrayed in high relief with fine engraved hair detail and dressed in a collared jacket bearing the German Federal Eagle shield at the chest. The encircling legend reads THEODORUS HEUSS MOD R P GERMAN along the upper periphery, with the dates 1949 and 1959 flanking the base of the portrait, commemorating his full presidential term. The design is executed in a classical medallic tradition, with the effigy occupying the majority of the coin's field. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
The "Aureus Magnus" series was not an official Bundesbank issue — these gold pieces were struck by private German mints in the late 1950s for the collector and bullion market, trading on the prestige of the ducat denomination without any legal tender status. Theodor Heuss, the Federal Republic's first Bundespräsident, served from 1949 until 1959, making this piece a farewell souvenir of his presidency rather than a circulating tribute.
The ducat weight standard used here traces back to the Holy Roman Empire's coinage conventions, a deliberate choice to lend numismatic gravitas to what was essentially a private medal issue.