16 öre, Stockholm, Erik XIV, 1562

King Erik XIV engaged in extensive coin production. This contributed to inflation, perhaps as much as his lowering of the silver content of the mark coins. But Erik needed money. Courting and coronation were expensive, as was the war with Denmark, Lübeck and Poland (the Seven Years' War, which started in 1563). On the reverse of the so-called clippings you can read the silver content of the coin.

This double mark, 16 öre, is one of the first that Erik issued and is without a dot in the Svealand shield, the small coat of arms. This means that it has a silver content of 484/1000. Looking at the obverse (front), the cross over the year tells us that the coin was made at the Gråmunkeholmen mint.

Image rights: Helena Bonnevier, Ekonomiska museet - Kungliga myntkabinettet/SHM (CC BY 4.0)

Object number: 107393_KMK

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