226, Lot: 601. Estimate $400. Sold for $675. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

GERMANY, Bayern. Maximilian I. Elector, 1623-1651. AV 2 Ducats (26mm, 6.84 g, 2h). München (Munich) mint. Dated 1645. Elector standing slightly right, / Madonna, holding scepter and Infant Christ, standing behind coat-of-arms. Friedberg 198. Fine, wavy, areas of flat strike. Rare.

Maximilian, Duke of Bavaria, was instrumental in helping the Holy Roman Empire defeat Frederick V, Count Palatine of the Rhine, during the outbreak of the Thirty Years’ War. For his services, Maximilian was elevated to the status of an imperial elector in 1623, thus positioning him as one of the most powerful princes in the Empire. Bavaria’s new status as an electorship reflected the growth of the duchy as a major military power that would continue to play an active role in European affairs. This impressive “Madonnentaler” was minted five years after Maximilian took his new title.