The first part of the L.E. Bruun Collection — A Corpus of Scandinavian Numismatics was held Sept. 14 Stack’s Bowers. The session in Copenhagen featured 284 sold lots including coinage from Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Total sales, including buyer’s fees, for the first segment totaled €14,820,900.

The first sale represents a portion of the coin, medal, bank note and book collection of Danish industrialist Lars Emil Bruun, who passed away in 1923. Bruun began collecting as a boy in the 1850s and his collection remained intact throughout his lifetime and beyond. The 20,000 items have been securely stored in a secret location in custom-made cabinets.

According to Stack’s Bowers, Bruun had specific instructions for his collection for after his death. “Deeply moved by the devastation he witnessed during World War I and fearing a new war or bombing of Copenhagen, L. E. Bruun left exacting instructions in his will for his collection: ‘For a period of 100 years after my death, the collection shall serve as a reserve for the Royal Coin and Medal Collection in Copenhagen in the sense that if it should be substantially destroyed by fire or lost by theft or other such event, my collection shall be offered to the State as a gift.’ However, should the next century pass with the national collection intact, ‘it shall be sold at public auction and the proceeds shall accrue to the persons who are my direct descendants.’ ”

On Nov. 21, 2023, that moment arrived, and the final provision of the will came into force. Stack’s Bowers Galleries was entrusted with the responsibility of auctioning the collection.

Due to the coins’ quality and bidder anticipation, many lots in the first sale exceeded estimates. The lot achieving the highest price was a rare Hans gold noble, the only example in private hands, with a pair known in museums. This first dated Scandinavian coin, from 1496, was graded About Uncirculated 55 by Numismatic Guaranty Co. The gold coin was likely struck for the king to use as a personal gift to foreign dignitaries. Estimated to sell for €300,000 to €600,000, the Hans noble sold for €1.2 million.

A 1623 Portugaloser, or 10-ducat, gold coin of Christian IV marred by an edge split realized €504,000, indicating the split did not diminish interest. Unique in private hands, it is one of only four known to survive from 237 made. This coin, graded AU-53 by NGC, features the assayer mark of a melting pot on the reverse.

The highest price for a coin from Norway was realized by a rare 1661 silver 2-speciedaler piece celebrating Frederik as sovereign, also unique in private hands. It sold for €423,000.

Fewer coins from Sweden were in the initial offering. The top Swedish coin, a 1657 Karl X Gustav gold ducat, struck during the second seizing of Elbing, sold for €102,000.

Connect with Coin World:  
Sign up for our free eNewsletter
Access our Dealer Directory  
Like us on Facebook  
Follow us on X (Twitter)
Keep in touch on MyCollect - the social media platform for collectibles 

Whether you’re a current subscriber or new, you can take advantage of the best offers on magazine subscriptions available in digital, print or both! Whether you want your issue every week or every month, there’s a subscription to meet your needs.