2 Pfennig - Ferdinand Albert II Gold pattern strike

Ferdinand Albert II ruled Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel for less than two years before his death in 1735 — the same year this pattern was struck. Gold pattern pieces at this denomination were produced not for circulation but almost certainly as presentation or cabinet specimens, the kind of object a minor German court might commission to demonstrate the quality of its dies to a patron or prospective ally. At 0.84g in near-pure gold, the economic absurdity of striking a 2 Pfennig in the metal makes the political purpose self-evident.