2 Dukater - Oscar I

Oscar I came to the Swedish throne in 1844 having already distinguished himself as a reformist crown prince — his 1840 treatise on crime and punishment had embarrassed the conservative establishment. These gold dukater were struck during the middle years of his reign, a period of genuine economic liberalization, including the 1846 abolition of guild restrictions that had constrained Swedish commerce for centuries.

The .986 fineness follows the centuries-old ducat standard inherited from the Holy Roman Empire, maintained in Scandinavian coinage long after most Continental states had abandoned it for more convenient alloys. Fr#89 is scarce across the full date range; the 1857 issue is noticeably tighter than the earlier strikes.