Estonia 1650-GP ducat Fr-1
This specimen was lot 42780 in Stack's Bowers Summer 2026 Global Showcase Auction (Pittsburgh, September 2026), where it sold for $14,640. The catalog description[1] noted, "Enticing Golden Denomination of Queen Christina, SWEDEN. Reval. Ducat, 1650. Reval (Tallinn) Mint. Christina. NGC AU-55. Thoroughly enthralling and enticing, this near-Mint survivor glistens with tremendous radiant brilliance and is seemingly without much at all in the way of circulation. Some very minor waviness, quite typical for the era and issue, is noted, but does not interfere with its tremendous originality and flair. A stellar example with a superb pedigree. Ex: L. E. Bruun Collection, #12046 (acquired in 1922). Ex: Countship of Brahesminde Collection." This is the first gold coin we have posted from this locale. This specimen shows the mintmaster initials below the shield; KM 7.2 has them to the sides, below the date. Both are very rare. Eight öre was a mark; six marks was a riksdaler and ten marks was (roughly) a ducat in gold. Fiscal manipulations were frequent in Sweden during this period so equivalents are approximate. Peter the Great greatly desired possession of Estonia and occupied it in 1710; the Swedes formally ceded it to him in 1721. It remained Russian until after World War One.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 3.49 g, 0.986 fine gold, this specimen 3.46 g.
Catalog reference: Fr-1; KM-7.1; SB-63A; Haljak-1277; Bruun-12046 (this coin).
- Bjorne Ahlström, Yngve Almer and Bengt Hemmingson, Sveriges Mynt, 1521-1977, the Coinage of Sweden. Stockholm: Numismatika Bokforlaget AB, 1976.
- Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
- Delzanno, Roberto, Myntårsboken 2022, Sveriges Mynt 995-2021, 1:a upplagen, Stockholm, 2021.
- 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]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, Summer 2026 Global Showcase Auction, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2026.
Link to: