Myntauktioner i Sverige AB Enters Partnership with Künker

Dr. Andreas Kaiser recounts how this partnership came about: “In early 2023, the Swedish Gunnar Ekström Foundation decided to put up for sale their approximately 80 numismatic objects that had been on display in the Royal Coin Cabinet until it was closed in 2017. There was no place to exhibit these pieces of utmost historical importance at the Coin Cabinet’s new location. The Foundation chose Myntauktioner i Sverige AB as their partner to sell the coins of the Kingdom of Sweden. Künker was commissioned to auction off the issues from the Swedish possessions as well as the magnificent gold medals. This required both auction houses to come together for various talks. In this process, it became apparent that they shared many values, in particular their ambition to deliver high-quality and reliable services in the interest of their clients. This is how the idea of a partnership evolved.”

Dan Carlberg, CEO of Myntauktioner i Sverige AB.

Who Is Myntauktioner i Sverige AB?

In Sweden, nobody would ask this question. The numismatic auction house under the leadership of Dan Carlberg is the country’s market leader. The company’s history dates back to the 1930s: On 17 May 1935, the Swedish Numismatic Society (SNF) held their first coin auction in order to provide their members with an opportunity to professionally trade coins. After all, there was a severe shortage of coin dealers in Sweden at the time. In addition, the sales generated an income for the Numismatic Society. The auctions of the SNF have been highly popular since the 1960s, when the Society started to sell objects from the collection of the important Swedish coin collector Sven Svensson (1855-1928) in order to finance their own premises.

In 2009, the Swedish Numismatic Society provided their sales with a new legal framework that also enabled non-members to benefit from the auction house’s services. Myntauktioner i Sverige AB was founded, headed by the experienced numismatist Dan Carlberg. Myntauktioner i Sverige filled the void that had emerged after the closure of the internationally acclaimed numismatic auction house B. Ahlström Mynthandel AB.

Cover page of the first auction of Myntauktioner i Sverige with the Frösell Collection.

The very first sale of Myntauktioner i Sverige on 12 September 2009 was a spectacular event as it featured the outstanding collection of the Stockholm numismatist Anders Frösell. The meticulously prepared auction catalog, packed with insights into monetary history, became a coveted reference work on medieval Swedish numismatics.

Since then, Myntauktioner i Sverige has held 43 on-site auctions and 50 electronic sales. Thanks to the initiative of Dan Carlberg, the Swedish auction house has become an important player in the international market.

Cover page of the Bonde Collection at Ericsberg Palace, part 2, jointly offered by Künker and Ulf Nordlind Mynthandel AG in Osnabrück on 9 October 2008.

Künker and Its Close Ties to Sweden

The Osnabrück auction house has cultivated a strong relationship with Scandinavian countries for many years, especially with Sweden. Dr. Andreas Kaiser explains: “The Sweden specialist Professor Peter Berghaus from Münster, who maintained close ties with the Künker auction house, repeatedly stressed the significant role the country plays in the realm of numismatics and the coin trade. As a result, Künker has been collaborating closely with Sweden’s numismatic community for many years. Many will recall the auction of the Bonde Collection or the sale of the collection of the entrepreneur Julius Hagander. For this event, we collaborated with Ulf Nordlind and Hans Hirsch of Ulf Nordlind Mynthandel AB. Four sales were held in Stockholm, six in Osnabrück. To us, the new partnership with Myntauktioner i Sverige is nothing but the logical next step, given our long-standing ties to the Swedish numismatic world. It is a pity that Peter Berghaus did not live to see it.”