THE 1661 AKERSHUS 10 DUCAT

 

NORWAY. 10 Ducat (Portugaloser), ND (1661). Christiania Mint. Frederik III. NGC AU Details--Damaged.

Fr-5a; KM-64 (silver); Hede-39; Sieg-44 (silver); NMD-1; Schou-2; Aagaard-A2; Rønning-P8; Bruun-10080. Weight: 35.68 gms. Mintmaster: Frederik Grüner. Engraver: Johan Blum. Apart from being nicked in the left obverse field, this is a most remarkable AU piece with amazing details and remains of original luster.

Arguably the most famous, beautiful, and coveted of all Norwegian gold coins and presumed UNIQUE in private ownership with just two other exemplars known, namely one in the National Museum of Denmark and one in the Coin collection of the University of Oslo (Universitetets Myntkabinett).

The present piece was bought personally by count Preben Bille-Brahe at the 1831 auction of the important collection of the late Carl Friderik (Friederich) Schubart for the then formidable sum of 46 Daler and has not been offered for sale in close to two hundred years! Thus this is a chance of not only one but of several lifetimes and will certainly be the crowning achievement of any collector of Norwegian coins in general or any collector of architectural European gold.

The outstanding type was struck to commemorate the celebration of king Frederik as a sovereign monarch of Norway. The ceremony took place at Akershus on August 15th 1661 in the presence of crown prince Christian V. While the obverse had previously been used for the regular Speciedalers from 1659 and 1660 (Aagaard die 60-1), the reverse is in every way unique in Scandinavian monetary history. Below the text "Aggers Haus" is a beautifully composed and balanced rendering of Akershus Castle on top of a rock overlooking the sea. Akershus, which can still be visited in the Norwegian capital Oslo, was constructed around 1300 to protect and provide a royal residence for the city. Many late medieval monarchs resided there, including Margaret (Margrethe) I (1375-1412), who was the architect of the Kalmar Treaty which united the Scandinavian countries Denmark, Norway (with Iceland) and Sweden (with Finland) under a Danish monarch. Christian IV, always very personally involved in the architectural design of official buildings, first transformed Akershus from a medieval castle into a regular fortress in 1592 and then from 1637 onwards into a full-blown renaissance castle complete with Italian inspired bastions, also visible on the design of the coin.

 

To read the complete lot description, see:
NORWAY. 10 Ducat (Portugaloser), ND (1661). Christiania Mint. Frederik III. NGC AU Details--Damaged. (https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-1QMBPY/norway-10-ducat-portugaloser-nd-1661-christiania-mint-frederik-iii-ngc-au-details-damaged)

To read an article by Stack's Bowers Henrik Berndt Senior Numismatist , see:
A Once in Several Lifetimes Opportunity (https://stacksbowers.com/a-once-in-several-lifetimes-opportunity/)

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