Denmark 1527 goldgulden Fr-10
This specimen was lot 1004 in Stack's Bowers sale of the L. E. Bruun Collection (Copenhagen, September 2024), where it sold for €52,800 (about US$58,513 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"Attractively Detailed Goldgulden of Frederik I. DENMARK. Goldgulden (Rhinsk Gulden), 1527. Malmö Mint. Frederik I. NGC AU Details--Cleaned. Mintmaster: Jørgen Kock. A very nice example of an EXCESSIVELY RARE gold type that is never seen on the market. A faint reddish hue adorns the obverse, promoting the delicate yet clearly defined details. Well-centered and struck on a clean planchet.
Whereas the obverse closely copies a design from his predecessor, the four shields on the reverse surrounding the national coat of arms with the three lions symbolizes different parts of the realm: Schleswig (2 lions), Holstein (a nettle leaf), the Wends (a wyvern - a mythological dragon) and Norway (an axe-bearing, upright lion). This great rarity was formerly in the collection of councellor Hans Henrik Frost (1766-1825), who occupied a position as inspector at the Royal Orphanage in Copenhagen. At his estate auction it was acquired by the publisher Carl Friederich Schubart (1759-1830) who had actually printed the catalog for the auction."
In 1523, Christian II was forced by disloyal nobles to abdicate as king of Denmark and Norway, and Frederick took the throne of Denmark in 1523 and was elected king of Norway in 1524. It is not certain that Frederick ever learned to speak Danish. Frederick I was the last Catholic to rule in Denmark but converted to Lutheranism some time in the 1520's.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 3.25 g, 0.917 fine gold, this specimen 3.28 g.
Catalog reference: Fr-10; Galster-59; Sieg-35; Jensen & Skjoldager-T21/25; Schou-1; Bruun-4056.
- Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
- 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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