Goldberg Coins and Collectibles

Sale 46

The Millennia Collection

Sweden

Lot	Photo	Description	Realized
Lot 841		Sweden. Silver 6 Marks, 1609. Dav-4513; KM-36; SM-33. Carl IX. Jehovah above crowned bust left. Reverse: Shield with three crowns, above and to its sides, legend in circles around. Some field handling marks and edge marks. Well struck with medium gray toning. A rare piece. NGC graded EF-40. History has a funny way of expressing itself. Carl had a great father (Gustav Vasa) and an even greater son (Gustav Adolf). Historians constantly sing the praises of these two, so it would be almost unnatural for them to have harshly criticized Carl, yet criticism is all he deserved because he was constantly at war, and constantly losing -- first to Poland, then to Denmark. Domestically, he accomplished little. Estimated Value $1,500 - 2,000. Ex Irving Goodman Collection. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $6,900
Lot 842		Sweden -- Pomerania. Silver Riksdaler, 1641. Dav-4571; SM-13. Christina. Facing three-quarters figure with crown before her, in ornamented border. Reverse: Saint behind supported arms. Well struck with a trace of luster and pleasing two-tone silvery gold toning, producing an elegant look. Unusually choice for this issue. NGC graded AU-58. Christina clearly was one of the most unusual of all European monarchs. Her early rule was characterized by great care and attention to detail. Later, she seemed to have lost interest in affairs of state, and made careless, ill-advised decisions. Of some interest to collectors of coins of the United States, she embarked upon western colonization, and established a Swedish foothold in Delaware and New Jersey. These colonies would not remain Swedish for long. Her interest in America is little known outside of Sweden, and her coins are seldom seen, and little understood. Estimated Value $2,000 - 2,500. Ex Irving Goodman Collection. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $7,763
Lot 843		Sweden. Silver Riksdaler, 1642. Dav-4525. Christina. Facing half-length bust. Reverse: Christ standing with orb, crowned arms left. Scratch in reverse field but boldly struck on an excellent, broad flan, with traces of luster beneath lovely old silvery lilac toning. Scarce this nice. NGC graded AU-50. At a time in Europe when a queen as sole ruler of her nation was less of a novelty, yet still uncommon, Christina Vasa of Sweden was, to modern sensibilities, one of the most remarkable monarchs of her era. Among her many qualities, Christina's religious tolerance, lack of racial prejudice, and commitment to the rights of members of other religious traditions was unheard of in her day. As a ruler, she was competent and decisive, yet independent, and one who exercised considerable political aptitude and sophistication in both internal and foreign affairs. She was a driving force in ending the Thirty Years War by negotiating the Peace at Westphalia -- to rather mixed feelings and opinions from her contemporaries. The Thirty Years War had devastated Europe and left Sweden financially ruined. Christina worked assiduously to expand trade, her large silver coins performing within the same parameters as the other Thaler-sized trade coins of Europe. In base-metal coinages, however, she initiated one of the more novel "oddities & curiosities" in European history. Because of Sweden's wealth in copper, Christina experimented with establishing a coinage that reflected the metal's true market worth, rather than an assigned token value. Thus the prodigious platmynt, or "plate money," of often enormous size and weight, remains as a testament to Christina's integrity. Nonetheless it is her fairly rare large silver coins which show the portrait of this remarkable queen. Estimated Value $1,000 - 1,500. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $3,720
Lot 844		Sweden. Silver Riksdaler, 1654. Dav-4528; KM-154; SM-14a. Carl X Gustaf. Bust left. Reverse: Crowned and supported arms. Sharply struck on a broad flan, well centered with an excellently detailed portrait, and attractively toned in shades of lilac and gray. Very rare. NGC graded AU-55. Christina abdicated the crown and appointed her cousin, Carl X Gustaf,as her successor. The Riksdaler continued to dominate trade in Scandinavia, the Baltic and parts of northern Germany. Here is a remarkable example of the biggest silver coin of its time. Estimated Value $2,500 - 3,000. Ex Irving Goodman Collection. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $9,488
Lot 845		Sweden. Silver Riksdaler, 1707-LC. Dav-1714; KM-336; SM-27. Carl XII. Bare headed portrait right, in armored bodice. Reverse: Crowned shield supported, with date beneath. Lustrous with semi-prooflike surfaces. Toned in multi-colored iridescent shades over light silvery surfaces. An elegantly engraved coin. Rare in this grade. NGC graded AU-58. Carl was a man of extremes. Known to have no need for excesses, he essentially abstained from women, large meals and alcohol. His tolerance for pain and suffering was well documented. He was the ultimate soldier. Yet he spent too much time fighting, and too little time governing. His policies originally won Sweden great prestige, but his later defeat by Russia at Pultova cost him dearly. Estimated Value $2,500 - 3,000. Ex Irving Goodman Collection. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $7,475
Lot 846		Sweden. Silver Riksdaler, 1718. Dav-1716; KM-231; SM-29a (star in center shield). Charles XII. Bare-headed portrait in armored bodice right. Reverse: Crowned and supported arms. Superbly engraved, showing the king with flowing, curled locks. A beautiful piece with excellent surfaces in lilac gray, almost no abrasions at all, sharp and pleasing, with just a hint of wear. Rare. NGC graded AU-55. Charles fled to Turkey after his defeat at Pultova by Russia. In Turkey, we have the interesting spectacle of a Lutheran king trying to convince the Moslem Turks to attack the Russian Orthodox Russians. As was typical of the politics of the time, little was accomplished. Estimated Value $1,000 - 1,250. Ex Irving Goodman Collection. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $4,140
Lot 847		Sweden. Silver Riksdaler, 1727. Dav-1722; KM-268; SM-65. Frederick I. Jugate busts of the king and queen right. Reverse: Crowned and supported arms. Lustrous with light peripheral golden toning on delightful, light silvery surfaces. NGC graded MS-62. Pictured here is Frederick and Ulrika Eleanora. Ulrika was actually ruler of Sweden before she married Frederick. In the mold of William and Mary of England, she wished the two of them to be co-rulers, but this was not allowed, so she abdicated in his favor in 1720. Estimated Value $2,500 - 3,000. Ex Irving Goodman Collection. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $6,038
Lot 848		Sweden. Silver Riksdaler, 1748. Dav-1729; KM-298; SM-89 (type VIII) Frederick I. Bust right, with long flowing hair, in armor. Reverse: Crowned arms of Sweden only in Order chain separating date. Fully lustrous and original with pleasing silvery gray toning. Virtually as struck. Beautiful, stylish engraving of shallow style, yet well detailed. A spectacular rarity and a one-year-only type. Very rare. NGC graded MS-64. Frederick was a bit of an enigma. Originally he took great interest in governing Sweden, but after he lost much of his power to the aristocracy he lost interest in governing. Ironically, Sweden prospered much during his reign, in areas of science, industry and commerce. Yet, apparently, Frederick had little to do with these advances. Estimated Value $6,000 - 7,000. Ex Irving Goodman Collection. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $13,225
Lot 849		Sweden. Silver Riksdaler, 1763-AL. Dav-1731; KM-464; SM-52. Adolf Frederick. Portrait right with flowing hair and long neck. Reverse: Crowned, large oval shield. Fully prooflike with excellent luster under lovely, medium reddish-gold, violet and blue toning. Very scarce issue, rare condition. NGC graded MS-64. Adolf Frederick was essentially a powerless king. At the time of his rule, the Swedish parliament (riksdag), held all the power. Adolf is known to have died from stomach problems after consuming a meal of lobster, kippers, sauerkraut, caviar and twelve helpings of his favorite dessert. He is known as the king who ate himself to death. Estimated Value $800 - 900. Ex Irving Goodman Collection. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $3,335
Lot 850		Sweden. Silver Riksdaler, 1827-CB. Dav-351; KM-613; SM-50a. Charles XIV John. Bust right. Reverse: Crowned shield. Variety with 7 angel heads. Sharply struck with partially prooflike fields and excellent luster under light reddish-gold toning highlighted with blue and violet near the rims. Only a two-year type and scarce. NGC graded MS-61. For those who collect Napoleonic coins, Charles XIV is the last Napoleonic connection. Born as Jean Baptiste Bernadotte, in France, Charles was appointed a French army marshall by Napoleon. He had risen from private as a result of his military prowess. Bernadotte treated the Swedish prisoners with great respect, and for this, and for his military abilites, the Swedish government chose him to be their next king. Estimated Value $1,500 - 2,000. Ex Irving Goodman Collection. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $4,600
Lot 851		Sweden. Silver 1 Riksdaler Specie, 1856-ST. Dav-355; KM-685; SM-56b. Oscar I. Bust right. Reverse: Crowned small arms, with large support. Prooflike fields with a lovely mottled light to medium reddish gold toning with blue and violet highlights. Very scarce in this grade. NGC graded MS-62. Oscar was the son of Bernadotte, and heir presumptive to the throne. Far more liberal than his father, he introduced gender equality, freedom of the press, and equality between Sweden and the conquered Norway. The parliament (Riksdag) stated that he advanced Swedish economic policy more than any of his predecessors. Estimated Value $700 - 900. Ex Irving Goodman Collection. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $1,898