A 100-Year Legacy: L.E. Bruun's Coin Collection Debuts at Stack’s Bowers Auction

The inaugural auction of the remarkable coin collection amassed by the Danish Butter King, L. E. Bruun, occurred on September 14, 2024, in Copenhagen, one hundred years after his death. Bruun was a prominent Danish entrepreneur born in poverty in 1852. His influence in the dairy industry earned him the moniker "The Butter King" because of his ability to dominate the export market, especially in Europe. However, beyond his business endeavors, Bruun had a deep passion for coin collecting, which was largely unknown to the public until now.

According to Stack’s Bowers Galleries, the auction house handling the collection, “Nearly 300 gold and silver rarities from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, were featured in this debut offering from Bruun’s 20,000-piece collection. The coins  offered stretch from the late 15th century to within a few years of Bruun’s death in the early 20th century and are valued at over US $10 million.”

The 20,000-piece coin collection, valued at an estimated $74 million, spans centuries and continents. It is an eclectic mix of rare coins from ancient to modern times and includes coins from the Roman Empire, medieval Europe, and Denmark’s rich monetary history. Many pieces are considered rare because of their age, condition, and provenance. Bruuns’s business acumen allowed him to expand the simple coin collection he had begun as a boy into the world’s most remarkable private collection of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden's coins, medals, and paper money.

Lars Emil Bruun left behind a vast estate and an extraordinary plan for his coin collection. Having witnessed the devastation of World War I and knowing that the British bombardment of Copenhagen in 1807 had nearly destroyed the Danish capital, Bruun devised a unique will. His collection of over 20,000 coins, medals, tokens, and notes would be held in reserve for the Royal Danish Coin and Medal Collection for 100 years following his death. If the Royal Collection were damaged or stolen during that century, Bruun’s collection would be donated to the Danish state. However, if the Royal Collection remained intact, his collection would be sold at auction, with the proceeds going to his direct descendants.

That 100-year period expired on November 21, 2023, and with his collection untouched, Bruun's remarkable collection of Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish numismatics was set to go to auction. A series of public auctions are planned over the coming years, and the series began in Bruun’s hometown of Copenhagen on September 14th.

The collection's auction is attracting considerable attention from numismatists, history buffs, and investors alike. Many experts predict that certain pieces will fetch high prices due to their rarity and historical context. Bruun's collection also offers a unique window into early 20th-century wealth and taste, as many affluent collectors of that era focused on European and classical coins. The collection is particularly notable for its inclusion of Danish coins, which are of both national and international interest.

This sale comes a century after Bruun's passing in 1929, leaving a complex legacy. The auction of his coin collection is a reminder of his economic influence and a testament to his passions outside the business world. 

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