Numismatic history is expected to be made this week as Stack’s Bowers Galleries presents an unprecedented auction of Scandinavian rarities from the L.E. Bruun Collection. NGC has certified thousands of coins from the collection, including the nearly 300 that will be offered in the sale, being held at 2 p.m. CEST (8 a.m. EDT) on September 14, 2024.
Multiple bids in or near the six figures have already been made. The sale, the first in a series, includes over 30 rarities that could realize prices of more than $100,000.
The initial offerings are a walk through Denmark’s rich numismatic history and cultural heritage, including 18 kings over a nearly 500-year time period. Learn more about the kings behind the coins here.
To give the numismatic community a valuable research tool and to showcase the Bruun Collection, NGC is building its most extensive image gallery ever. Expected to be released in the next few months, the searchable image gallery will be about double the size of the one for the Eric P. Newman Collection, which is currently the largest on NGC’s website, with 7,712 coins, tokens and medals.
"This selection of coins represents a unique opportunity in Scandinavian numismatics, one the world is likely never to see again," said Ben Wengel, NGC Senior Vice President of World Coin Grading. "NGC is proud to have certified these and thousands of other coins from this unprecedented private collection, the life’s work of a man who loved his country and its fascinating numismatic heritage."
Lars Emil Bruun, a Danish entrepreneur who made his fortune in butter and real estate, amassed a collection of 20,000 pieces from Denmark and other Scandinavian countries. Keenly aware that his homeland was not invulnerable (its capital had been devastated by a fire in the 18th century and by war in the 19th century), he ordered his extraordinary collection to be set aside for a century to serve as a replacement for the one owned by the Danish government, in case it was lost or destroyed. Now that 100 years have passed since his death, this stunning collection, which is insured for more than $70 million, is being offered to the public.
About Numismatic Guaranty Company ® (NGC®)
NGC is the world’s largest and most trusted third-party grading service for coins, tokens and medals, with more than 60 million collectibles certified, including a 1787 Brasher Doubloon that sold for a record $9.36 million. Founded in 1987, NGC provides an accurate, consistent and impartial assessment of authenticity and grade, backed by the comprehensive NGC Guarantee, which gives collectors greater confidence. To learn more, visit NGCcoin.com.
NGC is part of the Certified Collectibles Group® (CCG®), whose mission is to empower collectors with services that ignite passion, create value and build community. With about 100 million collectibles certified across a wide range of categories, CCG’s four brands — NGC, Paper Money Guaranty® (PMG®), Certified Guaranty Company® (CGC®) and Authenticated Stamp Guaranty® (ASG®) — are synonymous with trust and expertise in their hobbies.
–
I can’t begin to imagine what a collection of 20,000 pieces must look like and entail!