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4 Mark Dansk 'Bondedreng' - Christian V
| Issuer | Royal Danish Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 1690 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Krone (⅔) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Armored half-length effigy of King Christian V facing right, depicted in elaborate full plate armor with a sash bearing the pendant of the Order of the Elephant. The portrait is distinguished by a prominent bow tie at the neck and a large, ornately curled periwig — features exclusive to this denomination and its related 2 Mark type. The obverse legend in Latin encircles the bust within the field. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | CHRISTIANVS V D G REX DAN N V G (Translation: Christian V King of Denmark, Norway, the Wends and the Goths by the Grace of God.) |
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| Additional information |
The "Bondedreng" — literally "farm boy" — nickname attached to this issue stems from contemporary ridicule of the portrait, which Danish critics felt made Christian V look like a peasant rather than an absolute monarch. It stuck. The coin entered circulation during a period when Denmark was still financially recovering from the catastrophic wars against Sweden that had stripped the kingdom of its Scanian provinces under the Treaty of Roskilde in 1658.
Christian V's monetary reforms of the 1670s and 1680s restructured Danish coinage denominations, and the 4 Mark piece occupied a central role in that revised hierarchy. The .671 fineness reflects deliberate policy — a slight debasement from earlier standards that allowed the crown to stretch silver reserves.