GERMANY. Bavaria. Louis I, 1825-1848. Dukat 1846 (gold, 19 mm, 3.48 g, 12 h), so-called 'river gold dukat'. Munich (Munich). LUDOVICUS I - BAVARIAE REX Bare head of Ludwig I. Rev. EX AURO RHENI / MDCCCXLVI City view of Speyer across the Rhine. ACS 72. Beierlein 2716. Friedberg 276. Grabowski 78. Jaeger 126. ==References== Rare, a mintage of only 3,632 pieces. Lightly toned. Tiny scratches, otherwise, good extremely fine.The magnificent 'River gold ducats' in English) had a long-standing tradition in Bavaria, dating back to 1756, when Elector Maximilian III (1727-1777) ordered the first Bavarian 'Flussgoldducaten' to be minted. This tradition continued until 1862. However, by the 19th century, the amount of gold extracted from the drivers had tumbled to just a few grams per year (cf. D.O.A. Klose / F. Jungmann Stadler: Royal Bavarian Currency. Means of Payment and Finances in the Kingdom of Bavaria 1806–1918, p. 13). This explanations the rarity of these small treasures of Bavarian monetary history. This lot can be shipped to a US address.