Denmark 1930-N 20 kroner
The first specimen was lot 32140 in Heritage sale 3081 (New York, January 2020), where it sold for $26,400. The catalog description[1] noted,
"Denmark: An Absolute Stunning Gem, Among the Finest Certified of Any Coin of its Age. Christian X gold Specimen 20 Kroner 1930 (h)-N SP69 PCGS, Copenhagen mint. What can be said about this coin beyond what can be summed up in only two words? Simply incredible. One will often hear collectors marveling about high-quality coins, usually when certified "67" and higher, as being "essentially as-struck", and for practical purposes this is true. This offering, however, goes beyond this accepted definition, unveiling surfaces that truly are preserved in virtually the same condition in which they were made. Thus, this immaculate and nearly unbelievable jewel offers an unfathomable degree of technical quality, not just for the type, but for all world coinage struck before the second half of the 20th century, representing a miraculous survivor and a paragon of pre-WWII numismatics. The offering is struck in what is best described as a semi-matte finish, a finely speckled texture gracing the entirety of the obverse and reverse surfaces, presenting a luxurious appearance that is undiminished by a single meaningful instance of contact or handling. Truly sublime, this representative is quite literally a unique chance for the collector who desires the absolute best quality in Danish coinage. From the Caranett Collection."
The second specimen was lot 43081 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2026), where it sold for $27,600. The catalog description[2] noted,
"Extremely Rare Late Date 20 Kroner of Christian X, DENMARK. 20 Kroner, 1930. Copenhagen Mint. Christian X. PCGS MS-66. Mintmaster: Niels Peter Nielsen (N). Wonderfully preserved with thick luster over surfaces that have avoided all but the most trivial forms of handling over its nearly one hundred year existence. An VERY RARE date, this is the first example that we have seen struck with circulation-style "frosty" surfaces, as the three other examples that have appeared at auction over the past nearly 20 years display moderately reflective fields. As seemingly the rarer of the two coin finishes for the date, this coin should absolutely be held in elevated regard, existing as one of the most elusive items in 20th century Danish numismatics.
It should be noted that this issue is missing from the nearly-complete collection of Danish coinage that was assembled by L. E. Bruun, on account of his death [in] 1923, which was prior to its striking. As such, the rarity of this issue can be relatively assured, as the likelihood of more examples of this never-released date turning up must certainly be minuscule."
This specimen was struck during the reign of Christian X (1912-47). The Scandinavian countries (Norway, Denmark and Sweden) formed their own monetary union in competition with the Latin Monetary Union based on the French twenty francs d'or. Like that union, the Scandinavian Monetary Union lasted until World War One blasted all hard currencies out of existence. The twenty kroner shown here was minted 1930-31 but never released. It is a continuation of the issue of 1913-17.
Recorded mintage: 1,285,000 for 1930-31; not released.
Specification: 8.96 g, 0.900 fine gold, .259 troy oz AGW.
Catalog reference: Fr-299, KM 817.3 (unlisted in Proof), Hede-1C, Sieg-3.3.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- Siegs Møntcatalog 2016: Danmark med Omrader, 48 ed., Frederikssund, Siegs Forlag ApS, 2015.
- 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.
- [1]Bierrenbach, Cristiano, Warren Tucker and Sam Spiegel, Heritage World and Ancient Coins Auction 3081, featuring the Caranett Collection, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2019.
- [2]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, January 2026 NYINC Showcase Auction, Ancient and World Coins, featuring the Kazmier Wysocki Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2025.
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