As a numismatist with a profound appreciation for historical artifacts and a soft spot for Scandinavian history, this upcoming auction of the L.E. Bruun Collection has me absolutely giddy! The sheer magnitude of this treasure trove, carefully preserved by a visionary like Bruun, is nothing short of astonishing.
One of the most valuable collections of Scandinavian coins is set to hit auction next month, estimated to fetch around $70m USD. The treasure trove belonged to the Danish butter mogul Lars Emil Bruun, who purposefully kept its existence secret, apart from a few stewards, to use the coins as a financial reserve for Denmark to tap into during the beginning of the 20th century, fearing the destruction of his country’s national heritage following the Prusso-Danish War and World War I.
Bruun specified in his last testament that the collection should be securely stored in custom-made cases for a century without interruption. This was in 1923 when the Danish dairy tycoon passed away. Fast forward to 2024, Stack’s Bowers Galleries, the company authorized for the auction, considers this event as a “rare opportunity that may not come again in several lifetimes.” The sale will kick off in September and is expected to last between three to five years, featuring approximately 20,000 coins, medals, and banknotes on paper from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and the era when Danes governed England.
According to Henrik Holt Christensen, Stack’s Bowers senior director of consignments, upon personally examining the collection, he was amazed by its broad range and excellence, providing a complete account of Scandinavia’s monetary development through the ages. He described Bruun’s collection as a compact representation of Scandinavia’s numismatic odyssey spanning over a thousand years. Among the most treasured coins is the King Hans Gold Noble, one of just 20 gold coins produced by Danish officials during the 1530s, with an estimated worth between $333,000 and $662,000 USD.
The L.E. Bruun Collection auction is scheduled to start at Stack’s Bowers on September 14, 2024, precisely at 2:00 PM Central European Summer Time (CEST). The earnings from this event will be distributed among the heirs of Mr. Bruun.
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2024-08-24 01:25