10 Mark King Karl Wuerttemberg Gold Coin | 1864-1891
Berlin Mint
GPSR: Münze Deutschland
Barbarastr. 1
50735 Köln
(0961) / 3818 3970
info@muenze-deutschland.de
🇩🇪 10 Mark Württemberg 1872–1891 – Gold Coin King Karl – Royal Restraint in Fine Gold
The 10-mark gold coin of the Kingdom of Württemberg bearing the portrait of King Karl was minted between 1872 and 1891 and belongs to the classic state issues of the German Empire. It represents a period in which Württemberg preserved its political individuality within the Empire through an independent coin design. Struck in gold, the coin displays a calm, clearly structured design language that brings monarchic portraiture, state heraldry, and material presence into a balanced relationship.
The obverse shows the portrait of King Karl facing right, rendered in a deliberately restrained depiction. The linework is calm and clear, the face modeled factually, without pathetical exaggeration. The expression appears composed and dignified, shaped by the quiet authority characteristic of many southern German monarch portraits of this era. Surrounding the portrait is the inscription “KARL KOENIG VON WUERTTEMBERG,” evenly arranged and clearly legible. Beneath the effigy appears the mint mark of the respective mint, usually “F” for Stuttgart, finely and discreetly embedded into the field. The gold surface around the portrait remains calm and open, allowing the effigy to appear clear and unobstructed.
The reverse depicts the crowned imperial eagle, symbolizing Württemberg’s membership in the German Empire. The eagle is clearly contoured and executed in calm relief, without dramatic spread. Above the eagle stands the denomination “10 MARK,” below it the respective minting year within the issue period. An encircling oak-leaf wreath, whose finely worked leaves are highlighted in bold as a central motif detail, frames the depiction. The oak leaves appear evenly arranged and orderly, lending the reverse a natural, structuring calm.
The coin is struck in 900 gold, an alloy typical of the Imperial German era. It gives the surface a warm, bright tonality and a uniform material depth. The relief is precisely executed, yet without harsh contrasts. Light and shadow arise softly and in flowing transitions. The reeded edge complements the design with a classic tactile element and underscores the traditional character of the minting.
King Karl reigned over Württemberg from 1864 to 1891 and was regarded as a reserved monarch whose demeanor was shaped by personal distance and state order.
This attitude is reflected in the coin image: no staging, but clear contours, orderly inscriptions, and calm heraldry. The coin does not rely on impact through size or pathos, but on balance and formal clarity.
The 10 Mark King Karl gold coin of Württemberg thus remains a quiet historical witness of southern German minting art. It unites monarchic portraiture, state symbolism, and the warm presence of gold into a coin image that convinces through calmness, order, and a restrained aesthetic dignity.
| Metal | Gold |
| Form | Gold Coin |
| Country of Origin | Germany |
| Manufacturer | Berlin Mint |
| Series | German Empire |
| Purity | 900/1000 |
| Fineweight | 3.58 gram |
| Gross Weight | 3.982 gram |
| Grade | Brilliant |
| Condition | Circulated |
| Face value | 10 Mark |
| Thickness | 0.91 mm |
| Diameter | 19.50 mm |
| Packaging | Single in Pouch |