12 Schillingar / Skillingiä

The Riksgäldskontoret — the Swedish National Debt Office, not the Riksbank — was authorized to issue notes beginning in 1789 specifically to finance Gustav III's war against Russia. This created a parallel paper currency that competed directly with Riksbank notes and fueled significant monetary instability throughout the 1790s. The 12 Schilling denomination sat at a useful mid-tier for everyday transactions, which meant these circulated hard.

The bilingual denomination line reflecting both Swedish and Finnish was a practical necessity given Sweden's territorial reach at the time, not an ornamental choice. Finland remained Swedish until 1809.