Denmark 1680-GS krone
This specimen was lot 1105 in Stack's Bowers sale of the L. E. Bruun Collection (Copenhagen, September 2024), where it sold for €11,400 (about US$12,634 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"Handsomely Toned and Brilliant Krone from the Scanian War, DENMARK. Krone, 1680. Copenhagen Mint. Christian V. NGC MS-62. Mintmaster: Gregorius Sesemann (GS). Engraver: Jeremias Hercules. Most enticing and appealing, this Krone delivers handsome watercolor tone throughout the fields, with a deep appearance as the peripheries are reached. Nice luster beneath attractive toning, this Krone avoids the pitfalls of major marks or handling. A specimen that is certainly a cut above what is normally encountered.
The king is shown in full armor symbolizing the fact that he had personally participated in a number of battles in the Scanian War against Sweden. The Scanian War was a conflict involving Sweden, Brandenburg, and the union of Denmark-Norway that lasted from 1675 to 1680. The Danish objective was to recover Scanian lands that had previously been lost to Sweden. This aim was ultimately unsuccessful, with Sweden retaining the lands and Denmark receiving only minor war reparations from Sweden."
Three types of kroner are listed for 1680: KM 330/Dav-3633 (monogram obverse, initials GK), KM 365 (standing king, initials GS, shown here) and KM 367/Dav-3636 (king's bust on a pedestal, no initials). Unlike the other two, this one does not have a Davenport number, perhaps because it is only 32.3 mm diameter.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 22.1 g, 0.671 fine silver, 32.3 mm diameter, this specimen 22.26 g.
Catalog reference: KM-365; Hede-76; Sieg-36; Schou-17; Aagaard-24; Bruun-6898.
- Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
- 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.
Links to: