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3 Speciedaler `Breddaler` - Christian IV
| Issuer | Denmark |
|---|---|
| Year | 1611 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Full-length standing effigy of King Christian IV clad in complete plate armour, bareheaded, holding a commander's baton in his right hand. The royal figure stands within a beaded inner circle, with the Latin legend disposed around the periphery. The portrait conveys a commanding martial presence characteristic of early seventeenth-century Danish royal coinage. Mintmaster's initials IH appear in the field. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | CHRISTIANVS IIII D: G: DANIÆ: NORV: VAND: GOTO: Q: REX (Translation: Christian IV King of Denmark, Norway of the Wends and the Goths) |
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| Additional information |
The "Breddaler" — broad thaler — format was an experimental response to a practical problem: merchants handling large-value silver transactions preferred fewer, heavier coins over stacks of smaller denominations. Christian IV authorized these massive strikes partly as prestige currency, partly to demonstrate that Danish minting could match the quality of competing north German and Dutch issues. The 1611 date places production squarely amid Denmark's aggressive mercantile expansion and the ongoing rivalry with Sweden over Baltic trade dominance.
The II#3538C reference signals a Hede catalog attribution, the standard for Danish coinage, confirming this as a documented variety rather than an unofficial or fantasy piece. At nearly 87 grams of silver, individual dies wore rapidly — expect significant variation between surviving examples.