Germany, Ulm. 1730

AR Pattern 1/2 dukat, 1.38g (18mm, 12h).City coat-of-arms 17-30 / Eye of God above open book inscribed AVG CONF - 1530 in two lines; all within wreath.References: Nau 231, KM Pn5Grade: Beautiful iridescent toning. Mint Statewc1342 The 1730 silver pattern half-ducat from the Free Imperial City of Ulm is a fantastic artifact of the Protestant Enlightenment, struck specifically to commemorate the bicentennial of the Augsburg Confession. These silver strikes served a dual purpose: they acted as "trial pieces" to test the integrity of the dies before the gold run and functioned as prestigious presentation pieces for civic and ecclesiastical elites. The historical gravity of 1730 cannot be overstated. For a Lutheran stronghold like Ulm, the two-hundredth anniversary of the Confessio Augustana was a moment of intense political and spiritual self-definition. By commissioning this specific issue, the city’s mint masters and magistrates were not merely producing a commemorative token; they were documenting Ulm’s unwavering commitment to the Reformation’s foundational legal and theological document.