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10 Dukat - Christina
| Issuer | Riga, City of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1643-1644 |
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| Currency | Thaler (1621-1710) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | The arms of the City of Riga displayed in a shield supported by two rampant lions, the shield surmounted by a radiant sun above; the shield itself features a castle flanked by crossed keys. The date appears below the shield, flanked by the engraver's initials H - W, and the entire composition is encircled by a Latin legend proclaiming the coin's origin and material. |
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| Additional information |
Riga struck multiple-dukat pieces during the 1640s as presentation coins — hochzeitsgeschenke and diplomatic gifts rather than instruments of everyday commerce. Christina of Sweden, under whose authority this piece was issued, was then engaged in the long-running negotiations that would culminate in the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, and lavish gold multiples served a clear political function at a court competing for prestige with Vienna and Paris.
The City of Riga retained unusual minting autonomy under Swedish rule, a privilege jealously maintained through the period. Survivors at this weight are rare; attrition from conversion to jewelry and later meltage during the Great Northern War accounts for most losses.