These are Swedish plate money — plåtmynt — the most physically imposing coins ever produced for general circulation. Sweden's mid-17th century copper surplus, driven by the Falun mine's near-monopoly on European copper output, forced the Crown to denominate coins by metal weight rather than face value. A 10 Daler piece required roughly 20 kilograms of copper to satisfy its nominal worth in silver equivalency, making routine transactions a feat of manual labor.
Queen Kristina's regency council adopted the plate money system in the 1620s under Axel Oxenstierna's administration, but the 1644–45 issues fall just as Kristina assumed personal rule at eighteen. The Avesta works, deep in Dalarna, was the sole facility capable of rolling and stamping copper sheets at this scale.
These are Swedish plate money — plåtmynt — the most physically imposing coins ever produced for general circulation. Sweden's mid-17th century copper surplus, driven by the Falun mine's near-monopoly on European copper output, forced the Crown to denominate coins by metal weight rather than face value. A 10 Daler piece required roughly 20 kilograms of copper to satisfy its nominal worth in silver equivalency, making routine transactions a feat of manual labor.
Queen Kristina's regency council adopted the plate money system in the 1620s under Axel Oxenstierna's administration, but the 1644–45 issues fall just as Kristina assumed personal rule at eighteen. The Avesta works, deep in Dalarna, was the sole facility capable of rolling and stamping copper sheets at this scale.