Thule-Kap York 1910 5 ore token
This specimen was lot 3302 in Steve Album Auction 55 (Santa Rosa, CA, May 2026), where it sold for $132. The catalog description[1] noted, "GREENLAND: Thule-Kap York, 5 øre token, 1910, a fantastic example, PCGS graded MS66. Tied for finest known (Top Pop) at PCGS." This is one of a series of tokens, in denominations of five, 25, 100 and 500 øre. They were minted in Nuremberg by Ludwig Christian Lauer. A second series, which included five and ten kroner, was struck in 1932. Numista notes, "These were made for use at the explorer and missionary Knud Rasmussen's established Thule-Kap York trading station, established in 1910. Located in north-western Greenland, Rasmussen named it 'Thule', from classical and medieval literature, meaning of any distant place located beyond the 'borders of the known world'." The town is still there, providing support for the United States Air Force base there, but has been renamed Qaanaaq. A rare variety (KM Tn5.2) exists without the central hole, struck in error.
Recorded mintage: 5,000.
Specifications: 0.5 g, aluminum, 18 mm diameter, plain edge.
Catalog reference: KM-Tn5.1.
- 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.
- [1]Album, Stephen, Joseph Lang, Paul Montz, Michael Barry and Hanbing Feng, Auction 55, featuring Selections from the Swamperbob Gurney Collection of Cap & Ray 8 Reales, the Kenneth A. Bovenkamp Collection of Ottoman Coins and the 1914 Collection of World Coins, Santa Rosa, CA: Stephen Album Rare Coins, Inc., 2026.
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