A French Order on a Danish Crown

In 1653 Denmark wasn’t at war, notable as 17^th century Denmark is more or less defined by a seemingly endless string of wars with Sweden. King Frederik III had ascended the throne in 1648 on the death of his father, Christian IV, and he issued a great number of large Crown coins (Krone in Danish). Frederik III’s Crowns have been studied and described intensely as there are an almost endless number of variations and also some very convincing contemporary fakes, presumably struck by the Swedes in Northern Germany.

One of the more esoteric Crown types from Frederik III’s reign is the ‘St. Michael Order Crown.’ Struck in 1653 only, the coin resembles the type of that time with the F3 monogram on one side and the three lions shield on the other. But on one (and sometimes both) sides, the chain of the French order of St. Michael is added.

It has always been assumed that the adding of the chain was to commemorate Frederik III’s initiation in the order, but we just don’t know. The order was given solely at the discretion of the French king; it was often given in private and without any accompanying scrolls or additions to ledgers.

What we do know is what the coin sells for. In the recent Collectors Choice Online (CCO) auction of the L. E. Bruun Collection, an example with the chain on both sides sold for €3,360. The lucky buyer is now added to an impressive line of owners: Schubart (sold 1831), Kreber (sold 1841), Mohr (sold 1847), and Bech (sold 1906 to L. E. Bruun).

Since L. E. Bruun collected die variations there are five more St. Michael Order Crowns waiting to be sold, some of them with impressive provenances, too. Our upcoming offerings from the L. E. Bruun Collection include another Collectors Choice Online Auction September 22-23, 2025 and The L. E. Bruun Collection Part III, scheduled for October 29-31, 2025 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Visit StacksBowers.com for information on all our upcoming auctions.