Copyright 2001, Mike Locke
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Official government issue gold coins with a denomination equivalent to significantly less than 1 US dollar

Considerable help was provided by Robert Lande in producing this list.

Numerous asian and islamic coins have been ommitted due to the vast difference the in culture and method of production of the coins in those areas (see Algeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Malaysia, Nepal 1 DAM @ 0.044gr!, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey).
Also, modern NCLT has not been considered for this list.
Most of the European coins are classed as trade coinage.

It should be observed that most of the European 1/2 dollar "size" coins are actually 1/2 dollar weight, very thin, and similar in diameter to the small diameter USA gold dollar coins.

Austria 1/16 Ducat 1729, 1/8 dollar size
Austria 1/12 Ducat 1675-1711
Austria 1/8 Ducat 1686-1707,1729, 1/4 dollar size
Austria 1/6 Ducat 1669-1711, 1731
Austria 1/4 Ducat 1669-1765, 1/2 dollar size
Austria 1/3 Ducat 1675-1706
(Austria) Montfort 1/4 Ducat 1722-1730, 1/2 dollar size
(Austria) Salzburg 1/4 Ducat 1652-1782, 1/2 dollar size
(Austria) Trautson 1/4 Ducat 1635, 1/2 dollar size
Brazil Joao VI 400 Reis 1725-1734, 1/2 dollar size
Burma 1 PE, 1852, 1866 1/3 dollar size
(Czechoslovakia) Bohemia 1/4 Ducat 1690-1737, 1/2 dollar size
(Czechoslovakia) Olmutz 1/8 Ducat 1670s?, 1/4 dollar size
(Czechoslovakia) Olmutz 1/6 Ducat 1671
(Czechoslovakia) Olmutz 1/4 Ducat 1670s?, 1/2 dollar size
Denmark 1/4 Ducat 1646-1694, 1/2 dollar size
(Germany) Baden 1/4 Ducat (trade) 1747, 1/2 dollar size
(Germany) Bavaria 1/4 Ducat 1672-1676, 1/2 dollar size
(Germany) Blankenburg 1/4 Ducat 1717-1728, 1/2 dollar size
(Germany) Brandenburg 1/4 Ducat 1668, 1675, 1/2 dollar size
(Germany) Brandenburg-Ansbach 1/4 Ducat 1680-1717, 1/2 dollar size
(Germany) Brunswick-Luneburg 1/4 Goldgulden 1754-1757, 1/2 dollar size
(Germany) Brunswick-Luneburg 1/4 Ducat 1690-1737, 1/2 dollar size
(Germany) Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel 1/4 Ducat 1704-1734, 1/2 dollar size
(Germany) Fulda 1/4 Ducat 1672, 1/2 dollar size
(Germany) Hall in Swabia 1/4 Ducat 1714, 1/2 dollar size
(Germany) Hamburg 1/4 Ducat 1680-1729, 1/2 dollar size
(Germany) Hesse-Cassel 1/4 Ducat 1720-1752, 1/2 dollar size
(Germany) Hesse-Darmstadt 1/8 Ducat 1705, 1/4 dollar size
(Germany) Hesse-Darmstadt 1/4 Ducat 1703-1705, 1/2 dollar size
(Germany) Holstein-Gottorp 1/4 Ducat 1708, 1711, 1/2 dollar size
(Germany) Lippe-Detmold 1/4 Ducat 1714-1715, 1/2 dollar size
(Germany) Lowenstein-Wertheim 1/4 Ducat 1765-1784 (no date on coin), 1/2 dollar size
(Germany) Lubeck 1/4 Ducat 1650-1728, 1/2 dollar size
(Germany) Mansfeld 1/4 Ducat 1670-1671, 1/2 dollar size
(Germany) Mecklenburg-Schwerin 1/4 Ducat 1701-1756, 1/2 dollar size
(Germany) Nuremberg 1/4 Ducat ca 1700, 1/2 dollar size
(Germany) Nuremberg 1/8 Ducat ca 1700, 1/4 dollar size
(Germany) Nuremberg 1/16 Ducat ca 1700, 1/8 dollar size
(Germany) Nuremberg 1/32 Ducat ca 1700, 1/16 dollar size
(Germany) Oettingen-oettingen 1/4 Ducat pre 1732, 1/2 dollar size
(Germany) Passau 1/6 Ducat 1674, 1/3 dollar size
(Germany) Passau 1/4 Ducat 1674, 1/2 dollar size
(Germany) Pfalz 1/4 Ducat 1708-1711, 1/2 dollar size
(Germany) Pfalz-Birkenfeld-Zweibrucken 1/4 Ducat 1674, 1/2 dollar size
(Germany) Pfalz-Sulzbach 1/4 Ducat late 1600s, 1/2 dollar size
(Germany) Prussia 1/4 Ducat 1706-1715, 1/2 dollar size (8 major varieties)
(Germany) Regensburg 1/4 Ducat 1700-1790, 1/2 dollar size (several designs, round & square)
(Germany) Regensburg 1/8 Ducat ca 1720, 1/4 dollar size (3 designs, round & square)
(Germany) Regensburg 1/10 Ducat
(Germany) Regensburg 1/16 Ducat ca 1750, 1/8 dollar size (3 designs, round & square)
(Germany) Regensburg 1/32 Ducat ca 175, 1/16 dollar size (3 designs all round)
T. Elder listed the following for sale in 1909, although it may have been a 1/32 Ducat
(Germany) Regensburg 1/64 Ducat (not in "World Coins")
(Germany) Rostock 1/4 Ducat 1696, 1/2 dollar size
(Germany) Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld 1/4 Ducat, 1752, 1/2 dollar size
(Germany) Saxe-Eisenberg 1/4 Ducat, 1683, 1/2 dollar size
(Germany) Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg 1/4 Ducat, 1682, 1684, 1/2 dollar size
(Germany) Saxe-New_Gotha 1/4 Ducat, 1675, 1/2 dollar size
(Germany) Saxe-Sallfeld 1/4 Ducat, 1725-1743, 1/2 dollar size
(Germany) Saxe-Weimar 1/4 Ducat, 1651-1662, 1/2 dollar size
(Germany) Saxony 1/4 Ducat 1696-1743, 1/2 dollar size
(Germany) Silesia-Liegnitz-Brieg 1/4 Ducat 1619, 1674, 1675, 1/2 dollar size, square and round
(Germany) Stolberg-Rossla 1/8 Ducat 1/4 dollar size
(Germany) Stolberg-Rossla 1/4 Ducat 1706 1/2 dollar size
(Germany) Stolberg-Stolberg 1/32 Ducat 1/16 dollar size
(Germany) Stolberg-Stolberg 1/16 Ducat 1/8 dollar size
(Germany) Stolberg-Stolberg 1/8 Ducat 1/4 dollar size
(Germany) Stolberg-Stolberg 1/4 1706 Ducat 1/2 dollar size
(Germany) Waldeck 1/4 Ducat 1741-1761, 1/2 dollar size
(Germany) Wurttemberg 1/4 Ducat 1/2 dollar size
(Germany) Wurttemberg-Oels 1/4 Ducat 1685-1711, 1/2 dollar size
Great Britian 1/2 Crown 1601-1619, 2/3 dollar size
Guatemala Rafael Carrera 4 reale, 1861-1864, 1/2 dollar size and denomination
Hungary 1/12 Ducat 1739
Hungary 1/8 Ducat 1739, 1761, 1/4 dollar size
Hungary 1/6 Ducat 1673-1752
Hungary 1/4 Ducat 1615-1755, 1/2 dollar size
Hungary 1/3 Ducat 1675, 2/3 dollar size
(Italy) Castiglione Delle Stivier 1/8 Doppia (ND) 1/2 dollar size
(Italy) Genoa 1/8 Doppia 1621-1641, 1/2 dollar size
(Italy) Modena 1/3 Scudo D'Oro (ND, 103 soldi) 2/3 dollar size
(Italy) Modena 1/4 Ducat ND 1/2 dollar size
(Italy) Tuscany 1/8 Doppia ND 1/2 dollar size
(Italy) Venice 1/4 Zecchino ND 1/2 dollar size (35 varieties)
(Italy) Venice 1/2 Ducat ND 2/3 dollar size
Italy 1/8 Zecchino, ND 1/4 dollar size
Italy 1/6 Zecchino, ND
(Poland) Breslau 1/6 Ducat
(Poland) Breslau 1/4 Ducat, 1/2 dollar size
Portugal John V 400 Reis (Cruzado) 1717-1748, 2/3 dollar size*
Portugal Jose I 480 Reis (Pinto) 1752-1776, 2/3 dollar size*
Portugal Joao (P.R. or VI) 480 Reis (Pinto) 1807-1821, 2/3 dollar size*
(Romania) Transylvania 1/16 Ducat 1778, 1/8 dollar size
(Romania) Transylvania 1/8 Ducat 1749, 1778, 1/4 dollar size
(Romania) Transylvania 1/4 Ducat 1606-1780, 1/2 dollar size
Krause lists Russia Kopek (0.01 Rouble?!) ND 1606-1676, 1/4 dollar size, but Bob Julian reports that "gold Kopeks" are actually military award medals and that they cover a range of sizes.

Russia Poltina (1/2 Rouble) 1756-1778, 1/2 dollar size, 3 varieties
Scotland 1/2 Crown ND, 2/3 dollar size
Sweden 1/4 Ducat 1692-1755, 1/2 dollar size
(Switzerland) Canton 1/4 Ducat ND (1750-1780), 1/2 dollar size
(Switzerland) Zurich 1/4 Ducat 1639-1767, 1/2 dollar size
Vatican 1/4 Zecchino 1740-1751, 1/2 dollar size. Krause lists these as 1/2 dollar weight in the most recent edition, they were previously listed as 1 dollar weight. Existance of Vatican 1/2 dollar gold coins is doubtful.

* Curiously 800 Reis coins (1/2 Escudo = 1 Reale = 1 Spanish dollar) from the same period are 1 dollar size

The list below is sorted by City-State name then by date

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Government issues
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Round 1/16
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Nurnberg Obverse

Nurnberg Reverse

Undated (ca 1700) Nurnberg (Germany) 1/32 Ducat (1/16 dollar)
Lamb with banner obverse, shield reverse (no legends). This piece is extremely tiny and is presented in the same scale as all of the other round coins.

Regnesburg Obverse

Regensburg Reverse

Undated (ca 1750) Regensburg (Germany) 1/32 Ducat (1/16 dollar)
Crowned R obverse, crossed keys reverse (no legends). This piece is extremely tiny and is presented in the same scale as all of the other round coins.

Karl Stephens reports that these were issued in a box of 32 pieces, perhaps as a presentation or gift set of some sort.

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Square 1/8
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Nurnberg Obverse

Nurnberg Reverse

Undated (ca 1700) Nurnberg (Germany) 1/16 Ducat (1/8 dollar). About 6.6x0.4mm, 0.23grams.

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Round 1/8
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Nurnberg Obverse

Nurnberg Reverse

Undated (ca 1700) Nurnberg (Germany) 1/16 Ducat (1/8 dollar). About 7.1x0.3mm, 0.22grams. Coin provided by Bob Lande. Obverse die cracked in half.

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Square 1/4
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Nurnberg Obverse

Nurnberg Reverse

Undated (ca 1700) Nurnberg (Germany) 1/8 Ducat (1/4 dollar). About 6.6x0.4mm, 0.23grams.

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Round 1/4
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Fanam Obverse

Fanam Reverse

Undated India fanam from Western Gangas, circa 1080-1138. About 6.5x1.1mm, 0.32grams. Coin provided by Bob Lande.

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Square 1/2
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Nurnberg Obverse

Nurnberg Reverse

Undated (ca 1700) Nurnberg (Germany) 1/4 Ducat
Unusual with no legends and square shape.

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Round 1/2
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Austria Obverse

Austria Reverse

1755 1/4 Ducat (1/2 dollar) from Austria
Segimund III. This coin probably belongs with the Salzburg pieces.

Brunswick Obverse

Brunswick Reverse

1717 1/4 Ducat (1/2 dollar) from the city state of Brunswick-Blankenburg in Germany
Reverse legend reads "VESTIGIA PREMO MAIORUM", signed HCH (mint mark?) at bottom. Large-ish 13.5mm diameter, about 0.5mm thick (coin not in my collection).

Guatemala Obverse

Guatemala Reverse

1861 Guatemala 4 Reales
Note the designer's signature "FRENER F." beneath the bust. Also compare lettering size and overall diameter with next.

Guatemala Obverse

Guatemala Reverse

GOOD PIECE

Guatemala Obverse

Guatemala Reverse

COUNTERFEIT!
1864 Guatemala 4 Reales

At the time, 8 Reales was roughly on PAR with 1 US dollar. My period Cambists do not list Guatemala though, so I do not have a specific reference.
Guatemala was not known to be a route to California, however it does appear to be a viable route on a map. It is possible that production of this coin was inspired by the privately minted California fractional gold pieces.

The second illustrated 1864 piece is a counterfeit (purchased from Peter R. Hiltbrunner as genuine BU,a refund has been received). This counterfeit is markedly light weight at 0.65 grams (should be 0.85grams)

Nurnberg Obverse

Nurnberg Reverse

1700 Nurnberg (Germany) 1/4 Ducat
Reverse legend reads "MOM REIP NOR IMP", signed GFN at bottom. Lamb's banner reads "PAX"

Portugal Obverse

Portugal Reverse

1720 Portugal 400 Reis (UBS picture, permission not yet acquired).

Preussen Obverse

Preussen Reverse

1714 Preussen (Prussia, Germany) 1/4 ducat (not my coin). Legend reads FRID:WILH: DG.REX.BORUSS. The Reverse has HFH 1714 at the bottom.
Friedrich Wilhelm/star of the Order of the Black Eagle 1714, 1716

Russia Obverse

Russia Reverse

1756 Russia 1 Poltina (1/2 Ruble). Cyrillic legend. Crowned bust of Elizabeth, crowned monogram reverse. This is the full weight design, matching the expected 1.75 grams/dollar valuation (Ebay picture-the rim irregularities on this piece are not a good thing).

Russia Obverse

Russia Reverse

1777 Russia 1 Poltina (1/2 Ruble). Cyrillic legend. Crowned bust of Katherine the Great, crowned monogram reverse. This design and reduced weight used in 1777 and 1778. This piece was struck from highly eroded dies. The foggy curve decending from Katherine's chin is a ghost of the monogram on the reverse.

Salzburg Obverse

Salzburg Reverse

1659 Salzburg (Austria) 1/4 ducat. Obverse legend EPS:SALISB:1659 S:RVDBERTVS Reverse legend GUIDOB:D:G:AR:EPS.SAL:SE:A:L: Engraving rather crude compared to the later issues of Salzburg.
Guidobald 1654, 1655, 1658, 1659, 1660, 1662, 1668

Salzburg Obverse

Salzburg Reverse

1671 Salzburg (Austria) 1/4 ducat. The finest engraving that I've seen in the series.
Max Gandolph 1668, 1669, 1670, 1671, 1672, 1675, 1676, 1678, 1682, 1686

Salzburg Obverse

Salzburg Reverse

1707 Salzburg (Austria) 1/4 ducat (not my coin). Obverse legend EPS.SALISB:1707 S:RVDBBERTVS. Reverse legend IO:ERNES,D:G:ARCHIEP.SALISB: (Johann Ernst, by God's grace Archbishop of Salzburg?). 13.7 x 0.35mm, 0.87grams.
Johann Ernst 1687, 1688, 1699, 1700, 1704, 1705, 1707

Salzburg Obverse

Salzburg Reverse

1719 Salzburg (Austria) 1/4 ducat. Obverse legend EPS.SALISB:1719 S:RVDBBERTVS. Reverse legend FRAN.ANT.D.G.ARCHIEP.SAL (Franz Anton, by God's grace Archbishop of Salzburg?).
Franz Anton 1709, 1712, 1713,1714, 1718, 1719, 1725

Salzburg Obverse

Salzburg Reverse

1734 Salzburg (Austria) 1/4 ducat. Obverse legend reads EPS.SALISB:1734 RUDBERTUS Reverse legend reads LEOPOLDUS.D:G.ARCHIEPS.SAL.
Leopold Anton 1728, 1734, 1740. 1740 is noted as having an ORB instead of a basket in the right arm of the arch-bishop.

Zurich Obverse

Zurich Reverse

1767 Zurich (Switzerland) 1/4 ducat. This type made with minor variability in the wreath shape from 1718 to 1767, most dates.