Though our January New York International Numismatic Convention Auction has come and gone, we reflect on results that exceeded our expectations. This week’s recap focuses on an extremely rare Swedish ½ Riksdaler of Erik XIV, offered as part of the excellent Lennart Philipson Collection of Swedish coinage. This piece far exceeded our presale estimate of $10,000 to $15,000 and brought an astonishing $32,900! The coin combined distinct and appealing appearance with great rarity, as it is presumed to be just one of three extant. This type was missing from the Karl Gustaf and Julius Hagander collections. Some mild hairlines indicate light cleaning at one point, though now stunning gunmetal blue toning dominates the obverse fields. The centering and strike are superb, and the quality of manufacture is still evident despite its four and a half centuries of existence.
King Eric XIV is known to history as a mentally unstable monarch, which eventually led to conflict between the King and the Swedish nobility. After failed marriage proposals to future Queen Elizabeth I of England, Mary Queen of Scotts, Renate of Lorraine, Anna of Saxony and Christine of Hesse, his frustrations became directed at the Swedish nobility. His fate was finally sealed when upon dethronement, Eric XIV was held as a prisoner in various castles in both Sweden and Finland. He died in prison in Örbyhus Castle in 1577, and according to folklore, his final meal was a poisoned bowl of pea soup. An exhumation in 1958 confirmed he died of arsenic poisoning.
Though our Stack’s Bowers January New York International Auction is no longer open for consignments, we are now accepting consignments of world and ancient coins for our August 2016 ANA Auction as well as Chinese and other Asian coins and currency for our April 2016 Hong Kong Showcase Auction. Time is running short, so if you are interested in consigning your coins and paper currency (whether a whole collection or a single rarity) be sure to contact one of our consignment directors.
