Obv. The king mounted and armoured, wearing the ribbon and badge of the Danish Order of the Elephant, and holding a baton.
Rev. FRID : AUG : REX ELECTOR ET VICARIUS POST MORT : IOSEPHI IMPERAT :, M D C C X I·; the mintm’ster's initials ILH and a hook for Johann Lorenz Holland; three pedestals covered with ceremonial cloaks: on the left, the crown, sceptre and royal orb of Poland; on the right, the elector's hat and the imperial sword (attribute of the office of the Archmarshal of the Holy Empire), on the bottom, a wreathed inscription.
Silver, 29.08 g, 44.8 mm. Czapski 4620; Kopicki 11110 (R3); Kahnt 283; Davenport 2655. Near Extremely Fine, slightly worn spots and microscratches at the background. NGC grade: AU details.
According to the Golden Bull of Emperor Charles
IV from 1356, constituting the offices of the Reich (Holy Empire), after the
death of Emperor Joseph I, two vicars took power in Germany: Rhenish palatine
John William in the southern part and the Polish king and Saxon elector Augustus
II (Frederick Augustus I ) on the north. The interregnum period for the
election of a new ruler (Carl VI, the king of Hungary and Bohemia, and the
titular king of Spain) lasted less than half a year. The importance of the
office of vicar was rather prestigious; in any case, it gave rise to a whole
series of excellent commemorative coins of the Electorate of Saxony. The
carefully crafted portrait of the monarch attracts attention. The same dies
were also used for 10- and 8-ducat pieces and double talers. The equestrian
portrait was customary for Saxon vicariate coins (since the vicariate of
Elector John George I after the death of Emperor Matthias in 1619), but we do
not know who was the creator of this extremely successful series, the only one
from the times of Augustus II.
