12 Mark    (sold for $346.0)

1761, Denmark, Frederick V. Scarce Gold Ducat Courant (12 Mark) Coin. aXF!

Mint year: 1761
Mint Place: Copenhagen
Die Cutter: Georg Wilhelm Wahl (W)
Denomination: Ducat Courant (12 Mark)
References: Friedberg 269, KM-587.4. R!
Condition: Minor weakness of strike in reverse, otherwise about XF!
Material: Gold (.875)
Diameter: 21mm
Weight: 3.1gm

Obverse: Head of Frederick V right. Die cutter´s intial (W) inside bust´s truncation.
Legend: FRIDERICVS . V . D . G . DAN . NOR . V . G . REX .

Reverse: Crown above value (XII .M.) and date (.17.-.61.), split by mint master´s intial (W). Motto around.
Motto in latin: PRUDENTIA ET CONSTANTIA .
Translated: "By prudence and steadfastness."

Frederick V (31 March 1723 – 14 January 1766) was king of Denmark and Norway from 1746, son of Christian VI of Denmark and Sophia Magdalen of Brandenburg-Kulmbach.

He was first married at Altona, Holstein on 11 December 1743 to Princess Louise of Great Britain, daughter of King George II and Caroline of Ansbach. They were the parents of six children, but one was stillborn. Louise died on 19 December 1751 at Christiansborg Palace, predeceasing her husband by fourteen years, and was buried at Roskilde Cathedral. She was pregnant with her sixth child, who also died.

Frederick married a second time at Frederiksborg Palace on 8 July 1752 to Duchess Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, daughter of Ferdinand Albert II, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg. Their notable child was Hereditary Prince Frederick of Denmark and Norway who was, in his turn, father of King Christian VIII of Denmark and grandfather of Louise of Hesse, the future queen of Denmark. She died in 1796 having been regent for her son Prince Frederick. King Frederick was also the father of five illegitimate children by Else Hansen.

He founded the Royal Danish Academy of Art (Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademi) in Copenhagen, which officially opened on March 31, 1754, his 31st birthday. Frederick also purchased what would become known as the Danish West Indies from the Danish West India Company in 1754.

The personal influence of Frederick was a limited one. He was marked by his alcoholism and most of his rule was marked by very able ministers like A. G. Moltke, J. H. E. Bernstorff and H. C. Schimmelmann. They avoided involving Denmark in the European wars of his time. The country remained neutral even for the duration of the Seven Years' War (1756–63) despite its proximity to combatants Russia and Sweden.

The king died at the age of 42, and after twenty years of reign. His last words were reportedly: "It is a great consolation to me in my last hour that I have never wilfully offended anyone and that there is not a drop of blood on my hands." Frederick V is interred in Roskilde Cathedral next to Queen Louise.

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