2 Skilling Dansk - Frederik III Shield type VIIIb

Frederik III's reign saw Denmark emerge from the catastrophic twin wars with Sweden — the Roskilde humiliation of 1658 and the subsequent siege of Copenhagen — fiscally wrecked and desperate for coinage reform. The Shield type series was issued partly to restore confidence in small denomination currency after years of emergency monetary improvisation. Billon at .281 fineness was a pragmatic concession: enough silver to retain nominal credibility, cheap enough to mint in volume.

The KM#282.2 distinction from 282.1 rests on die arrangement details specific to the Copenhagen production run of these years.