Denmark 1794-B ducat Fr-283
This specimen was lot 1154 in Stack's Bowers sale of the L. E. Bruun Collection (Copenhagen, September 2024), where it sold for €22,800 (about US$25,267 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"Stunning Ducat with Sharp Contrast and an As-Made Appearance, DENMARK. Ducat, 1794. Altona Mint. Christian VII. NGC MS-67. Mintmaster: Michael Flor. Engraver: Georg Bauert. The so-called "Wildman Ducat" was the last Danish Ducat produced and the only one which gives the exact weight and fineness in the design, suiting it for international trade. Despite the ducat's intended function of facilitating international trade, the present specimen clearly avoided any such usage and is as beautiful and charming as the day it was made. The Superb-Gem luster glows with a cutting appeal, with a sharp prooflike appearance arising from frosty details and deeply mirrored fields, particularly on the obverse. A piece that is at the pinnacle of beauty, both in design and preservation, and as such, a representative worthy of consideration from even the choosiest collectors."
This was the only coin struck in Denmark in 1794, which was experimenting with paper currency at the time. It was also struck 1791-92 and 1802. The reverse was clearly inspired by Dutch ducats. Christian VII was insane for most of his reign and the government was in the hands of regents, including his stepmother and later his son. The court was the scene of violent power struggles over who would have access to the incapable king.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 3.49 g, 0.979 fine gold, 21.4 mm diameter, this specimen 3.49 g.
Catalog reference: Fr-283; KM-650; Hede-2; Sieg-29; Schou-1; FP-47.4; Bruun-7913.
- 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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