DENMARK. 5 Ducats, 1704. Copenhagen Mint. Frederik IV. NGC MS-63 Prooflike.
Fr-246; KM-482; Hede-12; Sieg-53; Schou-1; Bruun-7327. Weight: 17.12 gms. Mintmaster: Christian Wineke. Mintage: 251. Coupling an EXTREME RARITY with a beautiful nautical theme on the reverse, this 5 Ducats reaches out and grabs one's attention in a manner that is hard to describe and touches the aesthetic judgement in such a way that only the finest works of art can. The details are so finely engraved they can only be called a masterwork, being some of the finest style work seen on any contemporary issue. The strike is resolutely impressed, with a bold clarity and nothing that is left to be mentally filled in. The fine details are deeply frosted in the richest iciness, which makes them pop from the mirrored fields; as the prooflike designation attests to. Marks are seldom encountered, and even the light touches of friction offer little distraction to the overall allure and appeal of the piece. The beautiful motif of a ship with its gun-ports open sailing towards the sun as well as the legend: CONANDO INVENIMUS ("Daring we win") seem full of hope for a brilliant future and immediately harken one back to the age of Empires and Exploration. A memento worthy of all the adulation that can be heaped upon it, and a piece that will stand out even in the most advanced collections, as it does in the Bruun Collection.
From the L. E. Bruun Collection. Ex: Alfred Benzon Collection (Copenhagen - 5/1887) Lot # 2128.

Estimate: $150000