Denmark 1738 ducat Fr-248
This specimen was lot 1140 in Stack's Bowers sale of the L. E. Bruun Collection (Copenhagen, September 2024), where it sold for €12,600 (about US$13,963 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"Splendid Ducat with Tremendous Reverse Displaying Fort Christiansborg, DENMARK. Ducat, 1738. Copenhagen Mint. Christian VI. NGC MS-63. Mintmaster: Christian Wineke. A transfixing Ducat, this representative featuring an intriguing reverse motif of Fort Christiansborg, with the crowned monogram of Christian VI on the obverse; a change of pace as most Danish gold contemporary with this example feature a portrait of the ruler. Beautiful, vibrant luster provides a reflective luster reminiscent of a mirror. Altogether, a representative deserving of an exultant position in the next cabinet it enters.
At the time a stronghold for the Danish Atlantic slave trade, the fortress still stands and was until 2008 the presidential palace of Ghana."
This type is noted for 1738 and 1740 and is rare. Wikipedia comments,
"While Denmark's trading posts in India were of little note, it played an important role in the highly lucrative Atlantic slave trade, through its trading outposts in Fort Christiansborg in Osu, Ghana through which 1.5 million slaves were traded. While the Danish colonial empire was sustained by trade with other major powers, and plantations – ultimately a lack of resources led to its stagnation."
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 3.49 g, 0.979 fine gold, this specimen 3.47 g.
Catalog reference: Fr-248; KM-542; Hede-3; Sieg-9; Schou-1; Bruun-7585.
- 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.
- Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
- 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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