Coins Mapping the History of Modern Europe The latest offering from one of the world’s most prolific coin collectors, Åke Lindén, maps the social and numismatic history of modern Europe with coins of the highest rarity
Paris, the same year his daughter, Marie, was born, and was part of the LMU initiative. With a mintage of only 76, the reverse bears the Order of the Saviour, below the royal arms, the oldest and highest decoration awarded by the Modern Greek State. King George I gained territory for Greece throughout the 1870s and re-established her standing as a nation in pre-World War I Europe. A statement of his power, this propaganda coin glorifies the second and longest reigning Monarch in Modern Greek history, who ruled as King for 50 years until his assassination in March 1913. The coin is estimated to sell for £50,000-60,000.
Dimitri Loulakakis, went on to say; “The George I 100-Drachmai is a testament to Lindén’s dedication to acquiring top quality rarities, it is as close to fleur-de-coin, a perfect coin, as one would ever wish to own. It is a magnificent specimen.”
Whilst most of Europe was looking to unite under one currency, Romania fought for independence from Austria and Turkey, something they finally achieved in 1866, under the rule of Carol I.
The provinces, Maramures, Bucovina, Moldova, Crisana, Banat, Transilvania, Moldova, Walachia and Dobrogea, became the principality of Romania and the Leu of 100-Bani minted in 1867, with the Gold 20-Lei added in 1868. Only 100 pieces of the Gold Pattern Proof 20-Lei, 1868 were minted, and in 1875 Carol I ceremonially deposited a quantity into the foundations of his summer house, Peleş Castle, a neo-classical palace he was building in the picturesque Carpathian Mountains. The remaining coins were distributed amongst his friends and dignitaries. This example in the Lindén collection is by far the finest known of the few surviving pieces and is estimated at £40,000-50,000.
The political turbulence of the early 20th century, which culminated in the outbreak of the First World War, brought instability and the imminent collapse of the LMU. Under the rule of Vittorio Emanuele III, himself an avid coin collector, Italy remained neutral to its neighbours. In 1901, still under the LMU, Italy produced the Silver 5-Lire 1901 prooflike coin in Rome, with a mintage of only 114. It was the first coin bearing Vittorio’s portrait to be produced during his reign and is one of the rarest coins of the Vittorio Emanuele III series. The example offered in the sale is one of the few top quality examples still in existence, and is estimated at £25,000-30,000.
Another rarity in the sale from the Vittorio Emanuele III series is a unique 1908, Bronze 10-Centesimi, struck in Rome. From a mintage of three, this coin is the only example in private hands, the others are in state institutions. It is estimated at £12,000-15,000.
During the First World War Germany faced currency shortages due to an increase in people hoarding coins. At the time the German empire was unified under one coinage system, based on 100-Pfennig to the Mark, with lesser denominations struck in one form for the whole empire, and higher value denominations bearing the head and