2 Mark - Erik XIV Arms type II

Erik XIV's reign was consumed almost entirely by the Northern Seven Years' War against Denmark, a conflict that drained the Swedish treasury with unusual speed. The Arms type II designation distinguishes this emission from the earlier type by modifications to the shield arrangement — a change made during active wartime production, not a peacetime reform. Billon at .484 fineness reflects exactly the kind of fiscal pressure a kingdom under sustained military expenditure could not escape.

Erik was deposed by his own brother in 1568 and died in prison, almost certainly poisoned.