Northern Europe, Sweden, ca. 1716 CE. A roughly rectangular sheet of copper stamped with King Charles' XII of Sweden royal crest in each corner; a crown with interlacing CC 17 XII 16. The denomination stamped in the center; I DALER S:M. This plate was a form of currency in Sweden and platmynt daler translates to "plate dollar." This 1 daler of copper was worth a certain amount of silver, which is what "S:M" denotes. The verso is free of stamps and blank. Sweden created huge copper plates as currency due to a silver shortage. Unfortunately copper coin did not hold as much value as silver, resulting in these massive plates. Most platmynts were melted down and repurposed over the years, making these original plates quite rare! See below on why this one survived intact. Size: 5.5" L x 5" W (14 cm x 12.7 cm); total weight: 544.31 grams.

This 1 daler is large and the higher denominations were substantially heavier in weight, and the inconvenience of carrying these plates led to the creation of paper bank notes that could be exchanged. The need and value of the copper plates fell and most were melted down. In the 1780's, Sweden began exporting these copper plates to trade with colony countries. In 1783, the Danish ship, Nicobar, was sailing to India with a cargo consisting of Swedish platmynts, but a storm wrecked the ship off the coast of South Africa. The wreck was discovered in 1987, and this plate was finally recovered after spending nearly two hundred years at the bottom of the ocean! Actual treasure from a shipwreck, a rare find!

Provenance: ex-Estate of Eldert Bontekoe, Pegasi Numismatics, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA acquired before 2000

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#159405

Stamps have softening of details making several illegible. Nicks and chips to peripheries. Edges of the corner stamps cut off. Expected surface wear and pitting. Center stamp and two corner stamps boldly stamped.