Sweden 1683 ore (S.M.)
This specimen was lot 46832 in Stack's Bowers Summer 2026 Global Showcase Auction (Pittsburgh, September 2026), where it sold for $149. The catalog description[1] noted, "SWEDEN. Ore, 1683. Avesta Mint. Karl XI. NGC AU-50." The SCWC lists this type for 1683-86. We have inserted "(S.M.)" into the title as several types of Öre were struck simultaneously in the late seventeenth century; a billon coin (KM 250), a large copper coin (shown here) and a small copper coin (KM 232, marked "K.M."). This type is not rare but is very rare in nice condition.
Karl XI succeeded to the throne in 1660 at the age of four. He was not crowned until 1672, being under the regency of his mother and the Estates. In 1675, he found himself embroiled in war with Denmark which, by firm leadership and good luck, he won. The treaty of Fontainebleau of 1679 ended his last foreign war and he spent the rest of his reign reforming the army and restoring the royal finances. He died of cancer in 1697, aged 41 years.
Recorded mintage: 336,000.
Specification: 40.5 g, copper, 46-47 mm diameter.
Catalog reference: KM-264b.
- Bjorne Ahlström, Yngve Almer and Bengt Hemmingson, Sveriges Mynt, 1521-1977, the Coinage of Sweden. Stockholm: Numismatika Bokforlaget AB, 1976.
- Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
- Delzanno, Roberto, Myntårsboken 2022, Sveriges Mynt 995-2021, 1:a upplagen, Stockholm, 2021.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, Summer 2026 Global Showcase Auction, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2026.
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