2 Pfennig - Charles I Gold pattern strike

Pattern strikes in gold for low-denomination pfennig coinage are essentially a nobleman's vanity exercise — cabinet pieces made to order, never intended for circulation, and almost certainly produced in single-digit quantities. Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel's Charles I, who came to power in 1735, was an active patron of the arts and maintained a well-documented interest in his court's numismatic output. A gold restrike of a base-metal type at 0.85g tells you the die was struck with near-proof care; the weight leaves almost no margin for adjustment.