This spring’s coin auction in Nordhavn

Are coins just for unworldly nerds?

Numismatists are often thought of by the general public as a bunch of somewhat unworldly nerds who experience the world through a magnifying glass. Of course, this stereotype does exist, but generally speaking, this caricature is rather misleading. Coin collectors actually cover the entire spectrum: from young to old, from rich to poor, from those with a basic education to those with a PhD. Many are in outstanding physical shape and others not, but the dedicated collectors nevertheless have something in common: their love of history, an often well-developed sense of aesthetics and not least the ability to literally appreciate the small things in life. Readers of this are almost certainly already paid-up numismatists, who get what coin collecting is all about. Below, we have highlighted a number of the items up for auction that will interest collectors and the more uninitiated alike.

Mylius-Erichen’s ill-fated expedition

It is rare for a coin auction to feature items that seem to transcend any attempt to categorise them as mere numismatic collectibles, but this is nevertheless the case for a couple of lots at the auction in question. Take, for example, a 120 g medal, beautifully minted in the purest of gold, awarded to J.P. Koch in 1909 after one of the most fabled events in 20th century Danish history, the ill-fated Mylius-Erichsen expedition to North-east Greenland.

The history of Denmark continued

Danish history is brought almost palpably back to life by lot 5519, which contains both “Bryststjernen” (the Breast Star) and the order chain of the Order of Dannebrog belonging to General Peter Frederik Steinmann (1812–1894), one of the most significant figures in the War of 1864. If you are otherwise interested in the history of our country, we have no fewer than 53 lots of Danish coins minted between the early Viking Age and the Valdemar period to arouse your attention.

The auction’s most precious coin

Our most beloved monarch, King Christian IV, is represented by no fewer than 51 Danish numbers. The auction’s most precious coin, a “jefimok”, was also minted under Christian IV. It is a Norwegian speciedaler from 1632, which, by means of two countermarks, has been turned into Russian currency. It is unusual for two nations to be able to lay equal claim to a coin, and it will be interesting to see whether this extremely rare minting ends up in a Norwegian or a Russian collection.

Foreign treasures

The auction opens with a fine suite of 55 ancient Greek, Roman and Byzantine pieces, while the “newer” foreign coins are led by an almost impossibly well-preserved specimen of a ducat from Danzig, minted in 1670. As usual, it rounds off with some fabulous notes, of which no fewer than 10 beautifully-preserved Ming notes from Sophus Black’s internationally acclaimed Chinese collection are worthy of a special mention.

We look forward to seeing all the seasoned numismatists – in all their guises – once again, and also to welcoming new faces to this spring’s major coin auction!

Auction and preview

Auction: Tuesday 12 May, 10 am, at Baltikavej 10 in Copenhagen’s Nordhavn
Preview: Friday 8 May, 10 am – 3.30 pm, Monday 11 May, 10 am – 5 pm and Tuesday 12 May, 9–10 am at the same address

View all items up for auction

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