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20 Ducats - Aureus Magnus Manhattan
| Issuer | Germany, Federal Republic of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1959 |
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| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
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| Obverse description | A three-masted sailing vessel is depicted in rear view, advancing toward a shoreline upon which Native American tepees with rising smoke are visible. Thirteen stars arranged above the scene symbolize the thirteen founding states of the United States of America. In the lower portion of the field, the heraldic bald eagle of the United States — grasping an olive branch and a bundle of arrows in its talons — serves as a secondary device. The circumferential Latin legend commemorates Henry Hudson's discovery of Manhattan Island in 1609, with the anniversary dates flanking the inscription. |
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| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
The "Aureus Magnus Manhattan" issues were private fantasy pieces produced by the Numisma company in the late 1950s, sold primarily to American collectors through New York-based dealers — hence the Manhattan designation. They carry no legal tender status and were never authorized by the Federal Republic of Germany, despite the issuer attribution that appears in some catalogs.
Numisma produced these in multiple denominations, all in high-fineness gold, targeting a postwar American market hungry for European gold at a time when U.S. citizens were still prohibited from owning gold bullion under the Gold Reserve Act of 1934.