Here is the 2nd edition in the yearbook series of hammer prices realized for Danish and Norwegian coins sold at public auctions during the calendar years 1996 and 1997.

The 1st edition 1995/1996 deals with 34 auctions listing 7.000 prices, and the 2nd edition 1997/98 deals with 46 auctions listing 12.000 prices. This results in a total of 80 auctions listing 19.000 prices ! Prices from the real world ! The more editions that gets published, the more indispensable the yearbooks become both for dealers, clubs and price-conscious collectors, because here you can in no time get a picture of the price level that is paid for a specific coin.

Besides Danish and Norwegian coins the yearbook also includes coins from the Danish union kings in Sweden, the colonies in the West Indies and Northatlantic plus possessions in Northern parts of Germany. New is the inclusion of private coins from the colonies and Norway after the cede in 1814.

The precision and perfectibleness of the author to get as many details included as possible is impressive, and it is reflected clearly, when he – aside from one headline listing year, coin denomination, mintage and place of mint – in just one line squeezes in auction company with date and number of auction, grade of coin condition, estimate / minimum price, hammer price and hammer price including standard buyer's premium. Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, Swedish and German auction prices have been converted to Danish Kroner for Danish coins, while prices for Norwegian coins have been converted to Norwegian Kroner. In addition there is a table of exchange rates showing the current rates at the date of auction for 5 other currencies.

The small pitched and rather uniform typing in the 1st edition would make it a little difficult to find a specific coin. In the new edition this have been handled easy as well as elegantly by adding country / area and regent in the title of columns, and you now know at once, where you are located.

A new feature in the yearbook is also – and this is a bonus – articles dealing with trends and highlights from the auction market. Rounding off is about 50 pages of advertising, which besides guiding, inspiring and making contacts, further confirms there is a need for a yearbook of this kind.

(translated from Svensk Numismatisk Tidsskrift nr. 7, Stockholm november 1998, p. 192)

The book includes about 12.000 hammer prices realized during 1996+1997 for coins of Denmark 1448-1997, Tranquebar 1620-1845, Schleswig-Holstein 1514-1864, Danish West India 1740-1917, Sweden 1449-1565, and Norway 1483-1814-1997.

Each coin that is listed has the following information provided: The auction house, date of auction, lot number of the coin, and if there was a photographic illustration. Next, if specified in the auction catalog, the book will give the variety, mint, rarity, weight, and grade for each coin. Finally, the book lists both the auction house, estimated price, and the price realized (hammer price).

Unless you read Danish the book is not immediately user friendly, but with patience, and referring back to the English preface the basic format of the book can be followed relatively easily. What you do loose out on is the highlights given for the various auction houses for the years 1996 and 1997. Even so, if your interest is Danish coins, the book will be a great help in evaluating your collection, as well as giving you some idea as to what you could be expected to pay when purchasing a specific coin.

(NI Bulletin nr 7, Dallas, Texas juli 1998, pp. 202-203)

Donald S. Yarab 160

Collectors of German coins have been able to consult Deutsches Münzpreis-Jahrbuch for market prices, as reflected in auction results, for more than 20 years. Collectors of Scandinavian coins will now have the same sort of information available to them with the publication of Svensk-Finska Myntpris-Årsboken 1997/98. The work includes prices realized for coins from the following entities: Sweden 1521-1997; Saint Bartholomew 1784-1878; Reval; Narva; Riga; Livonia; Elbing; Thorn; Pommerania; Stralsund; Wolgast; Wismar; Bremen & Verden; Stade; Southern and Middle Germany; Augsburg; Erfurt; Fürth; Mainz; Nuremberg; Osnabrück; Würtzburg; and Finland 1864-1997. Thus, all coins included in Ahlström/Almer/Hemmingsson's corpus, Sveriges mynt 1521-1977 (Stockholm 1976) and Ahlström/Almer/Jonnson's Sveriges besittningsmynt / Die Münzen der schwedischen Besitzungen / Coins of Swedish possessions (Stockholm 1980) are potentially included in the work.

The work records over 9,000 prices realized for coins sold through 46 select public auctions held during 1996 and 1997 by the firms of Ahlström, Antikören, Bruun Rasmussen, Holmasto, Hornung, IK Mønter, Kunsthallen, Myntgalleriet, Nellemann & Thomsen, Oslo Mynthandel, Riibe, Swiss Bank Corporation, Tonkin, and Wallin. For the most part, these auction houses represent the "home market" for the covered coins. Thus, the publisher particularly notes that the coins of Swedish possessions sold through German auctions are included in the Deutsches Münzpreis Jahrbuch and are not included in this work just as the coins of Swedish possessions sold at Scandinavian auctions are not included in Deutsches Münzpreis Jahrbuch.

For every coin recorded the catalogue gives the following information: (a) identification of the auction by auction house and date of auction; (b) lot number-, (c) identification of the coin by year and denomination; (d) reference number of the coin: SM / SB; (e) grade; (f) estimated value; (g) hammer price; and (h) comment from the auction house, if any.

The work is recommend as an indispensible reference for all who seriously collect or trade in coins in any of the areas covered by the work.

(NI Bulletin nr 7, Dallas, Texas juli 1998, p. 201)

Nordic Banknote Price Yearbook by Morten E. Mortensen, Oslo 1997 contains prices realized for 7.000 Scandinavian bank notes sold through 178 Nordic auctions from 1990 through 1996. The text is in Danish with foreword in both English and German. However, the information is presented in a manner that should be clearly understood by most. The 239 pages are packed with tables of information about every conceivable paper money item of interest to Nordic collectors.

It is remarkable that the author includes all paper money from 1657 to the present day hammered from the following: Denmark: military notes, Jutlandia, creditbanks, S.O.S. kasse, J.A.K., municipal emergency notes, private notes; Danish West Indies; Schleswig-Holstein; Faeroes; Greenland, Iceland; Norway: emergency notes, creditmarks, private notes; Svalbard (Spitsbergen & Bear Island); Sweden: private banks and Finland.

I was delighted to receive this book to review and have in only a short time benefited from the wealth of information it contains. One example is by coincidence. I was contacted by a philatelist who had run into some early paper he was unable to identify that was determined to be early Swedish Transportsedler from the 1700's. He was, of course, curious to know their approximate value that the information in this book helped to estimate.

I am most interested in the first notes of Norway/Denmark, the Jørgen thor Møhlen notes of 1695. It has been very helpful with my research into all these notes that are outside the Danish archives and have appeared on recent auctions.

The information is organized by note denomination, date, auction house with date, lot number, major catalog number, note serial number, note condition, minimum auction bid and hammer price. It even denotes if the auction catalog includes a photo of the note, number of notes printed, and auction catalog comments. It lists all auction houses, their location, monetary units, percent of hammer price for purchaser and extensive exchange rate tables for each auction date for all Nordic countries plus England, Germany and U.S.

My only minor criticism is there were no places where I found definitions for all the abbreviations used to represent the specialized reference catalogs that are used, even though there is a fine bibliography on page 238.

If you have any interest in the paper money from Scandinavia, this book with its wealth of information will be of considerable help to you. No matter if you are a casual collector, a serious student with an interest in only one of the areas covered or have an interest in all Nordic countries, this book provides a great amount of useful data.

I do hope there will be updated editions in the future. A similar book providing the same information for auctions prior to 1990 would be on my wish list to better document rare and seldom offered notes.

(IBNS International Bank Note Society Journal nr. 1, 1999, p. 47)

The Scandinavian Auction Prices Realized for 1999/2000 by Morten Eske Mortensen is a continuation in the fine tradition of a quality book that will see actual use and not collect dust on a shelf. Mr. Mortensen has produced another must have reference book for the serious numismatist as well as for the occasional coin purchaser. The usefulness of this volume is very broad because it covers Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and their respective possessions. This single volume spans 500+ years of coinage and lists 17,000 prices realized at auction among the top auction houses of the world. The text is slightly difficult for an English speaking audience, yet it is extremely easy to transpose and any collector can readily find their coin by country, date, mint, and sale that it last occurred in. All known auction sales by date and lot number are shown with notes and descriptions that then follow with the grades and prices.

If you are a coin dealer then this book should be on your shelf, if you merely collect then you need to purchase it because it will save you money on your next coin purchase by showing the current market value. The smart numismatist always buys the book before the coin and this book is the one you will need!

(NI Bulletin nr 5, Dallas, Texas maj 2001, p. 142)

Guttorm L. Egge 197

In the first part of "Check list" is listed as many as 798 auctions from the period 1684-1998. At each auction is stated date, number of pages, number of lots, auction company and auction number where known plus a short line of information (for example name of the individual seller / collection). Part 2 comprises 95 sylloges of collections from the period 1655-1991. The last part is assigned to foreign auctions and the like of important Danish / Norwegian contents. This part stretch from 1719 to 1998 comprising 437 units. The survey ends in a comprehensive register of names.

At page 14 is found an excellent "masterlist" of public and private auctions of Scandinavian relation. This shows that altogether between 3.000 and 4.000 coin auctions have been held in Scandinavia during the last appr. 300 years.

Besides the check list includes a number of reviews of various other numismatic bibliographies, among these the 1st edition of the present check list. The author defines that the 1st edition by no means is superceded by this new 2nd edition, since the old edition contains far more details of the individual auctions. Also a page is dedicated to those 94 named buyers of the 194 printed copies of the publication. This list ought to be studied carefully by those who wants to get hold of his own copy. The publication therefore also could be regarded as a protest to those collectors who is speculating in the possibility to acquire fine (and indispensable) literature at cheap cost, just if you wait long enough.

What a check list! The little red book of Danish Numismatics has been published in only 194 copies, which are already sold out. More than two thirds of the copies printed have been sold outside of Denmark. The asking price of DKK 700 which a foreseeing investor recently has offered as sales price for a copy, may prove not to be too high a price. Any numismatic library of significance should already have ensured it’s own copy of this unique numismatic work before the antiquarian market prices will increase.

The publishing by the way coincides with the author – Morten Eske Mortensen’s – 40th birthday. The book has been published without neither public funds nor scholarship support. In the book, however, is printed a list of subscribers including a large number of well-known numismatic personalities, not only Scandinavian but also from 10 non-Scandinavian countries. Besides a couple of foreign museums all important museums of Scandinavia are in the list. It springs to mind, though, that our very own Royal Collection of Coins and Medals, Copenhagen, did not order the book in time! It is also amusing to note that the Scholarship for promotion of Numismatic Research in Denmark of Attorney Axel Ernst and miss Alfrida Ernst, located on the same address as The Royal Collection of Coins and Medals, would not grant support to the publication (as a curiosity the letter of refusal from the Danish scholarship is printed opposite to the list of pre-subscribers).

Could this be related to the fact that another publishing firm belonging to the author in 1995 published a (critical) 25th anniversary report of the grants of the Ernst Scholarship ? On the other hand, however, we see that the book has been financially supported by the Swedish Olov Hemmingsson Foundation for Historical Research. As an antiquarian book it will be unobtainable – already from Day 1 it was a rarity. The contents of knowledge and facts are impressive. The title "Afkrydsningsliste" (meaning check list) is far too modest. The author, however, is not known to throw his weight about despite the fact that he inwards as well as outwards is the most hard-working numismatic publisher since the days of our renowned Julius Wilcke. The work that Morten Eske Mortensen gets done these years is no less than breathtaking. Furthermore, as it can be seen on the first pages of the book he is praised to the sky at home and abroad and today more or less alone he is representing Danish numismatics to the world.

The 1.400 entries in the catalogue section embrace true historical research which no serious coin collector can do without. Naturally, the book also displays an excellent alphabetic list of all coin collectors whose collections have been put up for sale on auctions since the year of 1684.

Anyone within the profession must be pleased that Denmark can master such a diligent soul, whose enthusiasm we should support by acquiring all his publishings ! By the way the book also marks the author’s 25th anniversary as a numismatic writer in the period of 1974-1999. 

(NI Bulletin nr 1, Dallas, Texas januar 2001, p. 26-27)

A review of reviews [headline]. The present book is no ordinary book. A speculant's book it is named by the author himself, due to an extremely low printing run. On the cover is printed 1959 November 5 1999, so it is likely to be a birthday book for the publisher – a book of nearly 200 reviews or references to the writings of MEM. A book for boasting. Yes, at first glance it would seem so, but the book grows on you.

Wouldn't such a book be a bore, one wonders. No, on the contrary. Present is many hours of entertainment for collectors as well as numismatists – all while one is speculating, why the the first page of the book is paginated 17 !

Those who are familiar with Morten, know he is not afraid of going against the mainstream. To be provocative. Even not fearing entering into a dialogue. You are forced to have your blockings up and ready, because he remembers every little detail, you have said.

Back to the book. Reviewers are people, who have a greater or lesser interest in that book in particular, which has been sent to them for review. By carefully studying all the 195 reviews – with the exception of a few in foreign languages, which the present writer does not understand – one can deduct, that some reviewers are excellently skilled for writing reviews in that they at once grasp the essence and stay focused on the essential. Other reviewers are verbosing or are holding too much in respect a person who is able to get published, and others again plainly have not read the books thoroughly. Praisings, criticism and scepticism are mixing, but the praisings by far outnumber the others.

MEM is frequently using his sharp pen for comments in the reprinted reviews either by an improvement, addition, or correction to better the understanding of the reader or by castigating those who are guilty of misunderstandings. This is a fact that many an author will envy Morten, because seldom or never an author gets the opportunity to reply to possible criticism of their works.

One cannot help smiling, when reading of an editor, who may have been a little annoyed he did not receive a review copy, but on the other hand being fair enough to point to a review of that particular book in another magazine !

Lots of well known names are popping up in the 195 reviews, and one can either directly or between the lines get a good look into a good part of the controversy, which has left its mark on the coin collectors of the last quarter of a century.

In later years the authorship of MEM is concentrated on yearbooks listing hammer prices from auctions – a niche his accuracy makes him perfect for – and the more volumes he publishes, the more the yearbooks are going to prove their importance and justification.

(NI Bulletin, Dallas, Texas, issue 3, March 2001, pp. 82-83)

The present reviewer is now in his 67th year and has for more than two thirds of a century been offered all kinds of knowledge, theory and culture. For the last 25 years numismatics has segregated as my favourite pastime. Parallel and simultaneously to the authorship of Morten Eske Mortensen (MEM), who started out at the age of 14 in 1974 when his first contribution in print occurred. In 1984 MEMs numismatic publications reached a total of 56 books, self-contained booklets and articles. By a counting in 1999 the number had increased to 120.

Naturally, The Big Bang, the life of the dinosaurs etc. are interesting topics, but the publishing and writings of MEM have been a bit more down-to-earth. As you grow older less parts of our culture create joy and happiness. The extensive written production initiated by MEM, a l w a y s  has shown to be of high standards and has elevated joy and new inspirations.

195 Reviews by 100 Reviewers in 9 Languages [headline]. To mark his first 25 years of publishing and writing MEM now as an anthology has collected 195 different reviews or references to his published works. No less than 100 different reviewers have written these reviews in 9 different languages, and the reprinted reviews thus present many different points of view, evaluations and particular observations complementing each other well.

Much in our modern society has become noisy, flickering pictures, which is why "Publicist-virksomhed 1974-1999" becomes the oasis, that a wanderer cannot do without during his journey: For reflection, joyful recollection and serious remembrance !

Interesting Retrospects of the Last 25 years of Danish Numismatics [headline]. "Publicist-virksomhed" shows, that the works of MEM have concentrated specially on studies of old time numismatists, coin collectors and coin collections as well as tracing of pedigrees for rare coins and verification of rarity grades. Furthermore, during the last 5 years in the shape of coin price yearbooks MEM has collected and published hammer prices from public auctions of Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish and Roman coins plus Scandinavian banknotes sold world-wide. Further, MEM has prepared bibliographies and magazine indexes. Even further, he has produced a long list of contributions concerning rarity-surveys and pedigree-analysis concerning rare Danish-Norwegian coins after 1448. This job has been performed on behalf of domestic and foreign public auction houses to be used in their sales catalogues.

MEM Puts Literary Thieves up in Court for Box on the Ear [headline]. Such a high quality has labelled the works of Morten, that the very utmost 'appreciation' for this – the theft by others – is not absent. Other 'researchers' e.g. employees of public auction houses, lacking the necessary skills themselves, a couple of times wanted (yes, indeed wanted badly) to use the works of MEM, and thus these 'incompetent' persons completely/partly copied/transcribed the results of MEM's original works – 'duly' without obtaining previous permission from MEM. It's simple: To Copy = To Steal . This kind of theft (Copyright = Ownership) according to the law is illegal, and everyone knows, you are not allowed to steal the property of others  –  in Mortens usual thorough way offcourse has been stopped through a recent, quick copyright lawsuit. Hopefully the 5-figure economic box on the ear for the unlucky but also stupid whipping-boy – plus the prospect of a sentence next time around – will cure other potential literary thieves for the same ambitions.

Even Controversial Subjects incl. Slanderers are Dealt with [headline]. The reviews in "Publicist-virksomhed" demonstrates that within his field of activity MEM has not been the slightest reluctant to go into subjects of controversy. It is amusing to be reminded of the so called Festschrift-Fight from 1984, when Peter Hammerich, Chairman of The Danish Numismatic Society (DNF), to such a degree went into a rage over a lecture concerning a coin from 1701 hurting some corns. The lecture was published December 1983 in my name by the then 24 years young Morten in his publishing house Grelber. Peter Hammerich made a fool of himself and did harvest quite a bit of not very flattering press comments, which today are amusing to re-read.

The very same hullabaloo of the 1701-coin, that I originally (1974/75) participated in from the beginning, put up its ugly face once again in the year 1995  in the shape of a sensation seeking and shallow reporter with no knowledge of the conception of enquires of control from the school of journalism. On the contrary the journalist was bewildered with all too much  imagination and had an eager pastime of hurling false accusations. Again the trouble created by  my actions fell down in the lap of the all upright MEM. Even the very amusing press coverage  of 1996-1998 concerning "1701-Möntens nye Æventyr" ("The New Adventures of the 1701 Coin") are reprinted in "Publicist-virksomhed", and it is still equal fun to re-read the narratives, which exhibits the idiocies of a journalist. As is meet and proper the ridiculous journalist by the way ended up in court (twice even), and today he is 'exiled' (or has 'fled') via a dictated leave of absence to a far-off freelance correspondent-job at the end of the world in China.

Low Printing Run + Rare Book = Costly Antiquarian Book [headline]. The printing run for "Publicist-virksomhed" again signals exclusiveness. This time a diminutive printing run of 117 copies has been printed – all individually numbered, named and signed by the jubilee, MEM. As these copies have been distributed amongst selected clients, it is certain that the antiquarian collectors price will grow high; if any copy for sale can be located at all.

This is a refined message from the side line to the other players in the field – the other big publishers – who produces readings in 1- , 2- and 3.000 copies – and afterwards often dump or give away for free up to 100 % of the printing run, and that with financial assistance from foundations.

Is read all over the Western world [headline]. From the desk of MEM in later years have poured a steady stream of numismatic significant titles. His work is of great quality as well as quantity. Far beyond the borders of Denmark he is drawing the Danish numismatic picture. The books and articles of MEM have been published in 5 countries and in 9 different languages. Read, used and respected one sees his great servings to the numismatic community the Western world over.

Solid, Pleasing Production [headline]. The collected numismatic literary production of MEM – one half meter on the shelve and close to 10 kilograms in weight – makes him one of those who stand alone within the profession. Given his considerable numismatic insight and solid, pleasing production MEM himself is a numismatic library. The publishings for the coming years are anticipated, like the upcoming Olympic Games by any sports fan. With the normal speed of publishing by MEM we shall hardly have to wait for 4 years. Congratulations with the jubilee !

(translated from Fællesmønt nr. 51, Skelhøje januar 2001, pp. 4-5)

This is an unusual volume, not the collected works but the collected reviews (close to 200) of the works of Morten Eske Mortensen, some 40 pieces [reviewed] which ranged from fairly brief notes to the series of his gigantic Coin Price Yearbooks. His publications incline to the useful rather than the analytical: indices, bibliographies, publication of the names of purchasers at various 19th- and 20th- century numismatic auctions, and of course the coin price yearbooks with their thousands and thousands of entries.

The reviews similarly range from brief citations to more thorough examinations. The reviewers number more than 100, providing a wide range of reactions to Mortensen's work by scholars, collectors and journalists. Most are in Danish, but Dutch, English, Finnish, German, Italian, Norwegian, Spanish, and Swedish are represented, illustrating a wide spread of interest in his publications, and making it possible for the non-Scandinavian reader to survey them at least in part.

Most of the reviews tend to the descriptive rather than the critical (in the best sense), but they indicate the point of the publication, and often engage with its ideas and assumptions. Not surprisingly, the largest number of reviews, the most extensive, and the most thoughtful have been prompted by the Coin Price Yearbooks, with discussion as to how they work, and how far they serve the community of collectors and scholars. The overall judgement is very positive.

Publicist-virksomhed is also unusual in that at some points the reader is present at a kind of dialogue. In republishing the reviews Mortensen has contrived for himself a pleasure we would all like to arrange, in that he now and again inserts comments on or replies to the reviews, a procedure which could enliven many a learned journal.

Following a good Danish tradition it is important to extend your knowledge – even in numismatics – to higher levels, and present is thus the complete numismatic bibliography covering all Morten Eske Mortensen's written works 1974-1999 totalling no less than 121 numbers. A good part of these 121 numbers are books or self-contained booklets. This bibliography in great detail supplies all prevailing bibliographic information one could wish for.

Beyond that the bibliography has been added a wealth of annotations and explaining and elaborating notes. This fact is a big plus, since the third parties this way very easy gets to understand, what lies beneath the titles, and the annotations puts into a perspective the sometimes rather short-formulated titles. Very thoughtful is the addition of a thorough subject index, and an index of reviewers signatures, a listing of places of publications quoted, plus a complete name index of all those old time collectors which have had their biographies written by MEM.

All in all a very useful publication for those, who want to know more.

For the benefit of those who do not want to spend money on a paper based edition – or those who cannot afford to buy literature – is available the service to read the bibliography for free on the website of Gladsaxe Grammar School http://numisbooks.dk/info/gladsaxegymnasium/membibl.htm

(NI Bulletin, Dallas, Texas, issue 3, March 2001, pp. 83-84)