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4 Mark - Karl IX First serie
| Issuer | Sweden |
|---|---|
| Year | 1604-1606 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round |
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| Obverse lettering | CAROLVS · D:G · DESIGN·REX· SVECIÆ · & · PRINCEPS · HÆR · * 16 05 (Translation: Karl, by the Grace of God, designed King and hereditary Prince of Sweden) |
| Reverse description | Central motif consists of a radiant sun with the Hebrew Tetragrammaton (יהוה, Jehovah) inscribed within its disk, enclosed by a double inner circle. Two concentric legend bands surround the central device: the inner band carries the king's personal motto in Latin, and the outer band bears the denomination in Swedish letters. The overall composition reflects the Protestant devotional iconography characteristic of early seventeenth-century Swedish coinage. |
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| Additional information |
Karl IX had not yet formally crowned himself king when these were struck — he ruled as regent-turned-king following the deposition of his nephew Sigismund III, whose Catholicism made him politically untenable in a Lutheran Sweden. The 4 Mark was part of an aggressive early coinage program meant to assert his authority before his coronation in 1607.
The .821 fineness is notably high for the period, a deliberate signal of fiscal credibility during a reign built on contested legitimacy rather than dynastic right.