Anselm Franz von Ingelheim served as Archbishop-Elector of Mainz for barely two years before his death in 1679 — yet coinage struck in his name continued to appear into the early 1680s as the mint worked through authorized dies. Mainz held the distinction of being the premier electoral see of the Holy Roman Empire, its archbishop serving as arch-chancellor of Germany and the first among the prince-electors who chose the emperor.
The extreme brevity of his tenure, combined with the limited window for gold multiples of this denomination, accounts for the rarity Fr#1662 commands. Five-ducat pieces from Mainz were prestige objects, not circulation currency.
Anselm Franz von Ingelheim served as Archbishop-Elector of Mainz for barely two years before his death in 1679 — yet coinage struck in his name continued to appear into the early 1680s as the mint worked through authorized dies. Mainz held the distinction of being the premier electoral see of the Holy Roman Empire, its archbishop serving as arch-chancellor of Germany and the first among the prince-electors who chose the emperor.
The extreme brevity of his tenure, combined with the limited window for gold multiples of this denomination, accounts for the rarity Fr#1662 commands. Five-ducat pieces from Mainz were prestige objects, not circulation currency.