Owner Comments:
Baron Henry von Pechmann found himself in a state of anxious anticipation. He sat in the waiting room of the Royal Palace, waiting patiently for an audience with the King. In his hands he excitedly clutched a roll of blueprints with detailed mathematical annotations. Everything looked wonderful on paper for the great project, the brainchild of his whole life’s work since 1818… and at long last it was ready for implementation, completed and finalized in the smallest details! All that remained was only to convince the King so as to receive funding to begin the work’s initial stages - the construction of a Grand Canal that will eventually connect the unruly waters of the Danube and the Main rivers. In his dreams, he already saw how thousands of workers with picks and shovels bite as one large human mass into the German soil, turning it ton over ton… and how the outlines of the future channel cut through the map of Germany - from Bamberg to Burgthann, from Burgthann to Kelheim! Finally, the dream of all overlords come true, from the great Charlemagne to Napoleon, physically joining the North (Russian) Sea with the Black and eventually Mediterranean Sea.
The Baron had been developing the canal project from the year 1818 - when, after the victory over Napoleon in the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, the restoration of the destroyed borders and roads began and again the question arose of how best to transport goods across German lands. The construction of the canal would invaluably connect the main trade routes of the country’s north and south realms. However, the architect’s biggest concern was that the canal had to go through the European Watershed. The Baron spent several years only studying the landscape, having traveled on foot and on horseback over the future canal’s large area. Problems were everywhere - from the wetlands of the Ottmaring Valley to the old breweries in the Beilngries Caves. As a result of his painstaking work, the future route of the channel was finally complete. It was not the shortest route, although it was the most convenient from the point of local culture and preservation of historical monuments. Bamberg, Erlangen, Nuremberg, Burgthann, Neumarkt, Berching, Beilngries, Dietfurt, Kelheim .... these cities will soon become bustling shipping ports - all thanks to the Canal. Now all that remains would be to overcome the difference in altitude - because if Kelheim was 338 meters above sea level, then Voralb was already at 417 meters - and Bamberg at 230 meters above sea level! From Burgthann to Kelheim the height difference was 80 meters, and from Bamberg to Burgthann it was necessary to actually raise the water by 187 meters – such a task would have been dismissed as practically impossible in earlier days. But for Baron von Pechmann, ‘impossible’ was only an invitation! Today he will demonstrate to the King his ingenious method - how to raise a great quantity of water to the height required for proper shipping. He made use of a simple combination of locks and pump stations with delivery pipes to solve this overwhelming problem. In the Baron’s drawings, all the lock points were carefully marked in detail with their operational descriptions - a total of 100 (locks) with gates, requiring 55 lock-keepers, additional water pipes from nearby hills supplying the canal with the necessary amount of water. And now, all the titanic work of one individual over so many years was finally complete, waiting for one thing only - the seal of the King, a royal blessing to break ground and begin construction! Of course, the Baron was thrilled - the fate of his many years of work was being decided! Finally, the doors of the royal chambers opened and Ludwig rushed into the hall with open arms to meet the Baron.
“My dear Henry!” he exclaimed, “How good that you have come! I just wanted to tell you that we decided NOT to build the canal - there are too many costs and problems! It’s better we invest all the money in the construction of railways after all - it’s far more fashionable now and it’s become much much more profitable too - what’s wrong with you, my friend?” - stopped Ludwig, seeing von Pechmann's whitened face. In alarm, he called for a servant - “Bring water!!” But the Baron did not hear the King anymore - his legs gave way and the blueprints fell out of his trembling hands. His mind fell wrapped into a dark cloud as he fainted into the arms of the servant, who had come running.
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Ludwig was only joking! After Baron regaining consciousness and discussing all the details the decision was made to begin the construction of the canal along with the railways. Von Pechmann’s grand dream came true, and from 1834 to 1846, almost 6,000 workers with shovels and hoes were digging the way forward for the future channel. The Ludwig Canal was truly the singular feat of engineering for its time - locks and pumps provided the necessary water level, and upon heavily-laden paths alongside the canal, horses dragged massive barges through the openings. By 1850, the canal reached its maximum capacity, but later, starting in 1860, with the development of the railway network, the value of the canal as an artery of trade transport began to decline. Gradually the canal was abandoned and during the Second World War it was sadly destroyed by bombing raids. Now the remains of the Ludwig Canal are a favorite place for cycling for tourists and citizens, recalling the lofty projects of the supremely ambitious King of Bavaria, Ludwig I.
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German Talers since 1800 by John S. Davenport.
Bavaria, King Ludwig Series (1825 - 1848).
2 Taler 1846, LUDWIG CANAL.
Davenport 595, KM 822, Thun 86, AKS 109, J.77, Schw. 33.
To Commemorate the completion of the Ludwig Canal between the Danube and the Main rivers.
Obverse: Head of the Ludwig to the right, LUDWIG I KOENIG VON BAYERN.
Reverse: LUDWIGSCANAL, seated figures (Germania and Poseidon) holding hands, 1846 below.
37.1200 g., 0.9000 Silver, 1.0740 oz. ASW.
PCGS MS 62.
Slightly toned fields with sparkling uncirculated design. Some minimal contact marks and hairlines in the fields.