Carl XIV Johan — born Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, a French Revolutionary general — was elected Swedish Crown Prince in 1810 at the invitation of a Riksdag desperate for a capable military successor. He never learned Swedish and conducted official business in French throughout his reign. The smooth-border revision distinguishing this type from its predecessor reflects the minor die and collar adjustments the Stockholm mint made periodically to improve striking consistency on small copper fractions, which were notoriously prone to weak definition on the rims.
Carl XIV Johan — born Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, a French Revolutionary general — was elected Swedish Crown Prince in 1810 at the invitation of a Riksdag desperate for a capable military successor. He never learned Swedish and conducted official business in French throughout his reign. The smooth-border revision distinguishing this type from its predecessor reflects the minor die and collar adjustments the Stockholm mint made periodically to improve striking consistency on small copper fractions, which were notoriously prone to weak definition on the rims.