(sold for $37.0)

1637, Oldenburg (County), Anthony Gunther. Silver 2/3 Thaler (Florin) Coin. VF

Mint Period: 1603-1667 Reference: Davenport 714, KM-. Denomination: 2/3 Thaler (28 Stuber = 1 Gulden = 1 Florin) Condition: Weakness of strike due to an uneven planchet, otherwise VF Weight: 19.44gm Diameter: 40mm Material: Silver

Obverse: Crowned arms of Oldenburg within foliage. Two dots above crown, three dots below, two at sides. Legend: FLOR . ANT . GVC . (28) . E . D . D . I . I . E . E . K . (privy mark) Reverse: Crown above double headed eagle with cross-topped orb at chest, which contains stuber value (28). Legend: FERD . III . D . G . ROM . IMP . SEMP . AVG

The House of Oldenburg is a European royal house of North German origin. It is one of Europe's most influential royal houses with branches that rule or have ruled in Denmark, Iceland, Greece, Norway, Russia, Sweden, Schleswig, Holstein, and Oldenburg. The current Queen of Denmark, the King of Norway and the former King of Greece, as well as the consorts of Greece and the United Kingdom and the first seventeen names in the line of succession to the British throne, all belong to this house. It rose to prominence when Count Christian I of Oldenburg was elected King of Denmark in 1448, of Norway in 1450 and of Sweden in 1457. The house has occupied the Danish throne ever since. Marriages of medieval counts of Oldenburg had paved the way for their heirs to become kings of various Scandinavian kingdoms. Through marriage with a descendant of King Valdemar I of Sweden and of King Eric IV of Denmark, a claim to Sweden and Denmark was staked, since 1350. At that time, its competitors were the successors of Margaret I of Denmark. In the 15th century, the Oldenburg heir of that claim married Hedwig of Schauenburg, a descendant of Euphemia of Sweden and Norway and also a descendant of Eric V of Denmark and Abel of Denmark. Since descendants better situated in genealogical charts died out, their son Christian (the abovementioned) became the king of all three kingdoms of the whole Kalmar Union. The House of Mecklenburg was its chief competitor regarding the Northern thrones, and other aspirants included the Duke of Lauenburg. Different Oldenburgine branches have reigned in several countries. The House of Oldenburg was briefly poised to claim the British thrones through the marriage of Queen Anne and Prince George of Denmark and Norway; however, due to the early deaths of all their children, the crown passed to the House of Hanover.

Anthony Günther, Count of Oldenburg (aka Anton Günther, 10 November 1583 in Oldenburg – 19 June 1667 in Rastede) was an Imperial Count and a member of the House of Oldenburg.

Günther was the ruling count of Oldenburg from 1603 until his death, and of Delmenhorst from 1647 until his death. He was the son of John VII (1540–1603) and Elisabeth of Schwarzburg-Blankenburg.

Anthony Günther married Sophie Catherine (28 June 1617 – 22 November 1696), a daughter of Alexander, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg and Dorothea of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen.

S. Baring-Gould relates the following interesting anecdote about the count in his book "Strange Survivals Some Chapters in the History of Man":

In 1615 Count Anthony Günther of Oldenburg, on visiting a dyke in process of construction, found the workmen about to bury an infant under it. The count interfered, saved the child, reprimanded the dam-builders, and imprisoned the mother who had sold her babe for the purpose. Singularly enough, this same count is declared by tradition to have buried a living child in the foundations of his castle at Oldenburg.

The Haus "Graf Anton Günther" is a historic house in central Oldenburg, dating from 1682. Count Anton Günther is depicted on the facade, which was redesigned in the neo-Renaissance style in 1894. The house was used by merchants and tobacco manufacturers.

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