Charles XI, 1655-1697, King of Sweden 1660, and Ulrica Leonora of Denmark, d. 1693, Queen of Sweden 1680 [obverse] 1680

This silver coin portraying King Charles XI and Queen Ulrica Leonora of Sweden was made by Arvid Karlsteen, a talented die cutter. The coin’s circular form, the cool grey of the metal, and the crisp profile portraits—all these are effects of Karlsteen’s careful tooling. Striking coins was a refined process; each die had to be meticulously engraved in steel, in reverse. Then, these were used to impress the design onto planchets of precious metal. We can consider this coin from several angles. It’s an object of skilled craft, certainly. But it’s also a proto-industrial product, one of many identical units meant for wide distribution. The portraits aren’t just likenesses; they’re propaganda, presenting the monarchs as strong and serene. And of course, the coin is a symbol of the nation’s wealth, made from a valuable material secured through extensive mining operations. Ultimately, this coin represents the many hands and processes involved in its creation, from the skilled artisan to the laborers in the silver mines.