Christian V's 4-mark pieces of this period were struck under chronic pressure from a depleted royal treasury — the Nine Years' War against Louis XIV had drained Danish finances badly, and debasement crept into the silver coinage accordingly. The .671 fineness reflects that squeeze directly. This specific variant carries the year in the legend rather than in the field, a detail that distinguishes it within the 4-mark series and corresponds to a documented die practice shift at the Copenhagen mint in the early 1690s.
Christian V's 4-mark pieces of this period were struck under chronic pressure from a depleted royal treasury — the Nine Years' War against Louis XIV had drained Danish finances badly, and debasement crept into the silver coinage accordingly. The .671 fineness reflects that squeeze directly. This specific variant carries the year in the legend rather than in the field, a detail that distinguishes it within the 4-mark series and corresponds to a documented die practice shift at the Copenhagen mint in the early 1690s.