1/4 Speciedaler - Christian VII Rethwitsch Mint

The Rethwitsch mint — a private facility operating under royal license in Holstein — struck coins for the Danish crown during a period when Christian VII was already exhibiting the severe mental illness that would eventually see real power transferred permanently to his physician Johann Friedrich Struensee. Whether the king had any meaningful involvement in monetary decisions by 1769 is doubtful. Rethwitsch issues are often distinguishable from Copenhagen strikes of the same type by subtle differences in die workmanship, and KM#604 pieces from this facility turn up considerably less often than their capital-struck counterparts.