Denmark (1596) speciedaler Dav-8231
This specimen was lot 1054 in Stack's Bowers sale of the L. E. Bruun Collection (Copenhagen, September 2024), where it sold for €38,400 (about US$42,555 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"Steely and Stately Nearly Mint Speciedaler, DENMARK. Speciedaler, ND (1596). Copenhagen Mint; Privy Mark: Clover. Christian IV. NGC AU-55. Engraver: Nicolaus Schwabe. One of only two known examples, the other being in the National Museum of Denmark. Struck for the king's coronation on the 29th of August 1596. No matter the condition, this would be a 'now or never' piece. However, the example is truly impeccable, dazzling the viewer with an elegant multicolored toning and a forceful portrait.
At his father's death in 1588, prince Christian was only 10 years old and until 1596 the realm was de facto governed by a regency council, led by the chancellor, Niels Kaas. Following his death in 1594 the chairmanship passed to Jørgen (George) Rosenkrantz, whose name was used by Shakespeare in Hamlet. Although the reverse was also used for the variant bearing the date 1596, the portrait side is very different and more similar to the type struck for the king's wedding in 1597. A Clover (trefoil) indicates that the engraver was Nicolaus (Nikolaj) Schwabe and that the coin was struck at the Copenhagen Mint in the former convent of St. Clare."
This type also comes dated 1596.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 29.2 g, 0.875 fine silver, this specimen 28.20 g.
Catalog reference: Dav-8231; Hede-44; Sieg-94; Schou-31; Bruun-5852.
- Davenport, John S., European Crowns, 1484-1600, Frankfurt: Numismatischer Verlag, 1977.
- Siegs Møntcatalog 2016: Danmark med Omrader, 48 ed., Frederikssund, Siegs Forlag ApS, 2015.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio, Jeremy Bostwick and Henrik Holt Christensen, The L. E. Bruun Collection - A Corpus of Scandinavian Monetary History Part I, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2024.
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