coins + medals

201 Pages·2015·11.83 MB·English

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Auction 856
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C O I N S + M E D A L S
Auction 856

A U C T I O N A T B A L T I K A J 1 0
Tuesday 12 May 10 am 5000 - 5607
P R E V I E W A T B A L T I K A J 1 0
Friday 8 May 10 am - 3.30 pm
Monday 11 May 10 am - 5 pm
Tuesday 12 May 9 am - 10 am
Baltikavej 10 · DK-2150 Nordhavn · Tel [phone] · Fax [phone]
[email protected] · bruun-rasmussen.dk
D E P A R T M E N T O F C O I N S
Numismatist, M.A. - Head of Department
Michael Fornitz
Tel [phone]
[email protected]
Specialist
Henrik Berndt
Tel [phone]
[email protected]
Specialist
Kurt Guldborg
Tel [phone]
[email protected]
Specialist
Brian Lohmann
Tel [phone]
[email protected]
Specialist in Aarhus
Mogens Hansen
Tel [phone]
[email protected]
H O W T O B I D
O N L I N E :
Before the traditional auction starts, bids may be placed on bruun-rasmussen.com.
You can enter a bid and follow the bidding right up until three hours before the
start of the traditional auction at Baltikavej in Copenhagen. You will automatically
be notified if you are being outbid. The traditional auction is based on the highest
bid made online.
A T T E N D T H E A U C T I O N I N P E R S O N :
You can register for the auction at Baltikavej 30 minutes before the start. Each
participant is assigned a bidding number. The auction will be in Danish and
English, and please note that bids and invoices are communicated in Danish kroner.
L I V E B I D D I N G :
You can follow the auction live via video and audio transmission and submit bids
from our website, as if you were in the saleroom. Your bids will be treated the same
way as bids submitted in the saleroom. When the auction starts, go to our website
and click on “Follow the auction live” next to the auction in question.
C O M M I S S I O N B I D S :
If you are unable to attend the auction in person, either in the saleroom or via Live
bidding, you can submit a commission bid, whereby a commission agent from Bru-
un Rasmussen will bid on your behalf during the auction. Commission bids may be
submitted via our website next to the description of the item in question right up
until the start of the auction. Commission bids may also be placed via telephone,
email, letter or fax up until 24 hours before the start of the auction.
T E L E P H O N E B I D S :
Bids may also be made by telephone. We will call you from the saleroom
and bid on your behalf. You can book this service on our website next to
the item in question, or contact our staff on [email protected]
minimum three hours before the start of the auction.
P AY M E N T A N D C O L L E C T I O N :
Items purchased at auction may be paid for and collected on the day
of the auction at Baltikavej 10.
For further information, please visit: bruun-rasmussen.dk

N
umismatists are often thought of by the general public as a bunch of somewhat unworldly nerds
who experience the world through a magnifying glass. Of course, this stereotype does exist, but, generally
speaking, it is a rather misleading caricature. Coin collectors actually cover the entire spectrum: from young
to old, from rich to poor, from those with a basic education to those with a PhD. Many are in outstanding
physical shape and others not, but the dedicated collectors nevertheless have something in common: their
love of history, an often well-developed sense of aesthetics and not least the ability to literally appreciate the
small things in life.
Readers of this foreword are almost certainly already paid-up numismatists, who get what coin collecting is
all about, but for the uninitiated, allow me to point out certain items in the catalogue, which, if nothing else,
might just pique your curiosity.
It is rare for a coin auction to feature items that seem to transcend any attempt to categorise them as mere
numismatic collectibles, but this is nevertheless the case for a couple of lots at the auction in question. Take
lot 5422, for example, a 120 g medal, beautifully minted in the purest of gold, awarded to J.P. Koch in 1909
after one of the most fabled events in 20th century Danish history, the ill-fated Mylius-Erichsen expedition to
North-east Greenland. Estimate: DKK 120,000.
Danish history is brought almost palpably back to life by lot 5519, which contains both the Breast Star and
the order chain of the Order of Dannebrog belonging to General Peter Frederik Steinmann (1812–1894), one
of the most significant figures in the War of 1864. Estimate: DKK 40,000.
If you are otherwise interested in the history of our country, we have no fewer than 53 lots of Danish coins
minted between the early Viking Age and the Valdemar period to arouse your attention (lot 5055–5107).
Our most beloved monarch, King Christian IV, is represented at this auction by no fewer than 51 Danish
numbers (5127–5177). The auction’s most precious coin (lot 5415), a “jefimok” was also minted under
Christian IV. It is a Norwegian speciedaler from 1632, which, by means of two countermarks, has been
turned into Russian currency. It is unusual for two nations to be able to lay equal claim to a coin, and it will
be interesting to see whether this extremely rare minting ends up in a Norwegian or a Russian collection.
Estimate: DKK 150,000.
In the wake of our successful sale in the autumn of the unique double d’or from 1826, the current auction
features no fewer than 26 d’or coins, starting with an exquisite specimen of Denmark’s oldest d’or from 1775
(lot 5287).
The auction is teeming with rare and beautiful coins in both gold and silver from the 17th and 18th cen-
turies, but I simply must highlight the amusing and beautiful Glückstadtspecie from Frederik III (lot 5213).
Estimate: DKK 60,000.
Of particular note this time, we have a number of 19th and 20th century coins in truly sublime quality, and our
neighbouring country, Sweden, is represented by an exquisite array of 19th century ducats (lot 5462–5469).
The auction opens with a fine suite of 55 ancient Greek, Roman and Byzantine pieces, while the “newer”
foreign coins are led by an almost impossibly well-preserved ducat from Danzig, minted in 1670 (lot 5490).
Estimate: DKK 50,000.
As usual, the auction rounds off with some fabulous notes, of which no fewer than four remainders from
Frederik IV (5541–5545). 10 beautifully-preserved Ming notes from Sophus Black’s internationally acclaimed
Chinese collection are worthy of a special mention.
As always, I am very much looking forward to seeing all the seasoned numismatists – in all their guises – once
again, and I hope, this time, to welcome a few new faces to this spring’s major coin auction, too.
Michael Fornitz

N
umismatikere bliver ofte af den brede offentlighed anset for en samling lidt verdensfjerne nørder, der
oplever verden gennem en lup. Selvfølgelig findes disse karikerede typer også, men grundlæggende er denne
karakteristik ganske misvisende, og møntsamlere må siges at dække hele spektret fra ung til gammel, fra rig til
fattig, med uddannelsesniveauer fra grundskole til ph.d. niveau, mange er i forrygende fysisk form og andre
ikke, men alligevel har de dedikerede samlere noget til fælles: kærligheden til historien, en ofte veludviklet
fornemmelse for æstetik samt ikke mindst evnen til bogstaveligt talt at se det store i det små.
Læseren af dette forord hører formentlig allerede blandt de ”frelste”, der forstår glæden ved numismatikken,
men for de uindviede vil jeg tillade mig at udpege nogle emner i det pågældende katalog, der om ikke andet
måske kan vække nysgerrigheden.
Det hører til sjældenhederne, at en møntauktion kan byde på emner, der helt synes at transcendere
ethvert forsøg på at blive kategoriseret som et blot og bart numismatisk samlerobjekt, men dette er ikke desto
mindre tilfældet for et par lots på den pågældende auktion. Det gælder f.eks. lot 5422, en 120 gram tung
medalje smukt præget i det pureste guld, der blev tildelt J.P. Koch i 1909 efter en af de mest sagnomspundne
begivenheder i det 20. århundredes danmarkshistorie, den fatale Mylius Erichens expedition til Nordøst-
grønland. Vurdering: 120.000 kr.
Med lot 5519 bliver danmarkshistorien ligeledes næsten håndgribeligt vakt til live, idet det indeholder såvel
bryststjernen som ordenskæden til Dannebrogsordenen tilhørende general Peter Frederik Steinmann (1812-
1894), der var en af de mest betydningsfulde skikkelser i krigen i 1864. Vurdering: 40.000 kr.
Er man i øvrigt interesseret i vort lands historie, bør hele 53 lots af danske mønter præget mellem den tidlige
vikingetid og valdemarstiden nok vække opmærksomhed (lot 5055-5107).
Vor mest folkekære regent, Christian IV, er på denne auktion repræsenteret med hele 51 danske numre (5127–
5177). Også auktionens mest kostbare mønt (lot 5415), en såkaldt ”jefimok”, er præget under Christian IV. Det
drejer sig om en norsk speciedaler fra 1632, der ved hjælp af to kontramarkeringer er forvandlet til gangbart
betalingsmiddel i Rusland. Det er sjældent, at to nationer med lige stor ret kan ”gøre krav” på en mønt, og
det bliver spændende at følge, hvorvidt denne uhyre sjældne prægning havner i en norsk eller i en russisk
samling. Vurdering: 150.000 kr.
I kølvandet på vort succesfulde salg af den enestående dobbelt d’or fra 1826 i efteråret kan vi på den fore-
liggende auktion byde på ikke mindre end 26 d’or mønter begyndende med et udsøgt eksemplar af Danmarks
ældste d’or fra 1775 (lot 5287).
Det vrimler med sjældne og smukke mønttyper i både guld og sølv fra det 17. og 18. århundrede, men
jeg kommer ikke uden om specielt at fremhæve den morsomme og smukke Glückstadtspecie fra Frederik III
(lot 5213). Vurdering: 60.000 kr.
Fra det 19. og 20. århundrede bemærkes denne gang især en række mønter i absolut topkvalitet, men også
vort naboland, Sverige, er repræsenteret med et par 1800-tals dukater i fornem kvalitet (lot 5462-5469).
Mens auktionen indledes af en fin suite af 55 antikke græske, romerske og byzantinske stykker, anføres de
”nyere” udenlandske mønter af et naturstridigt velbevaret eksemplar af en dukat fra Danzig præget i år 1670
(lot 5490). Vurdering: 50.000 kr.
Auktionen afrundes som sædvanligt med en fin række pengesedler, hvoraf specielt må nævnes hele fire blan-
ketter fra Frederik IV (lot 5541–5545) samt ikke mindre end 10 fint bevarede Ming-sedler fra Sophus Blacks
internationalt berømte kinesiske samling.
Idet jeg som sædvanlig glæder mig til at gense alle ovennævnte afskygninger af allerede etablerede numisma-
tikere, håber jeg denne gang også at kunne byde et par nye ansigter velkommen til forårets store møntauktion.
Michael Fornitz

C O I N S + M E D A L S
Tuesday 12 May 2015, 10 am 5000 - 5607