Stack's Bowers Galleries Offers Norwegian Ultra-rarity and Much More in L. E. Bruun Collection Sale

More than 500 Scandinavian coins, tokens and medals that are certified by NGC® are being offered in a Stack's Bowers Galleries auction, including a Norwegian coin that is presumed to be unique in private ownership and could realize about $1 million. Bidding is already underway for the March 2026 L. E. Bruun Collection - A Corpus of Scandinavian Numismatics - Part IV auction, including Session 1 ending on March 24 and Session 2 ending on March 25.

The auction's top lot is a Norway (1661) 10 Ducat - Fort Aggershus graded NGC AU Details (Session 2, lot 18103), with an estimate of €600,000 to €800,000 (about $699,000 to $932,000). The coin is believed to be unique in private hands, with the only other two known examples held by the Danish government and a Norwegian university.

The obverse depicts Frederik III, the King of Denmark and Norway from 1648 to 1670. He achieved so much popularity in successfully defending Copenhagen from a Swedish army in 1659 that he was able to transform the elective monarchy into an absolute one. The reverse of this coin shows Akershus, a fortified castle in Oslo that hosted a ceremony in 1661 to commemorate Frederik's new power.

The auction features several other Frederik III rarities expected to sell for at least six figures, including a Denmark 1664 10 Ducat graded NGC AU Details (Session 1, lot 17074), with an estimate of €150,000 to €200,000 (about $175,000 to $233,000). Weighing more than an ounce and representing an enormous amount of wealth for its day, this coin is thought to have been struck for the king's personal use.

With this sale being held in New York City, the auction house opted to showcase dozens of coins from the Danish West Indies, which today is the US Virgin Islands. Among them are a Danish West Indies 1904 10 Daler graded NGC MS 68 (lot 18044) with an estimate of at least €35,000 (about $40,000); a Denmark 1749 VH West Indies Co. 2 Ducat graded NGC MS 63 (lot 17126) with an estimate of at least €20,000 (about $23,000); and a Danish West Indies (1850) 25 Cents Counterstamped on a US 1849 Quarter graded NGC MS 63 (lot 18034) with an estimate of at least €35,000 (about $17,000).

This astounding Scandinavian numismatic collection was assembled by Lars Emil Bruun, a Danish entrepreneur who made his fortune in butter and real estate. NGC was selected to certify the collection, encapsulating the coins with a special certification label that highlights this renowned pedigree.

In September 2024, the first in a series of auctions of the collection was held, led by a Denmark 1496 Noble graded NGC AU 55 that realized €1.2 million (about $1.33 million), a record for any coin from Scandinavia. More than 6,300 coins, medals and tokens have been offered from the collection so far, and you can view high-resolutions images of them in a searchable gallery at NGCcoin.com/gallery/bruun.

Additional NGC-certified highlights in this auction include:

• an undated 2 Ducat graded NGC MS 66★ (Session 1, lot 17085), with an estimate of €150,000 to €200,000 (about $175,000 to $233,000)
• a Norway 1678 PG 4 Speciedaler graded NGC XF Details (Session 2, lot 18111), with an estimate of €150,000 to €200,000 (about $175,000 to $233,000)
• a Denmark 1653 5 Ducat graded NGC MS 62 (Session 1, lot 17066), with an estimate of €100,000 to €130,000 (about $116,000 to $151,000)
• a Denmark 1663 10 Ducat graded NGC AU Details (Session 1, lot 17072), with an estimate of €110,000 to €130,000 (about $128,000 to $151,000)
• a Denmark 1592 5 Ducat graded NGC AU Details (Session 1, lot 17041), with an estimate of €90,000 to €110,000 (about $105,000 to $128,000)
• a Denmark 1659 5 Ducat graded NGC AU 55 (Session 1, lot 17069), with an estimate of €80,000 to €100,000 (about $93,000 to $116,000)
• a Norway 1678 PG 3 Speciedaler graded NGC AU Details (Sessions 2, lot 18112), with an estimate of €80,000 to €120,000 (about $93,000 to $140,000)
• a Denmark 1870 NC//CS 2 Christan d'Or graded NGC MS 69 (lot 17227), with an estimate of €30,000 to €40,000 (about $35,000 to $46,000)
• a Denmark 1911 VBP GJ 20 Kroner graded NGC MS 68+ (lot 17275), with an estimate of €6,000 to €7,000 (about $7,000 to $8,000)

Estimates are provided by the auction house. The $ symbol represents US Dollars.