W. C a r e w H a z l i t t Coinage of the European Continent

376 The Coins of Europe
by numismatists in the fifteenth century, and cover the whole
reign of Christian I., 1448-81. A second body of coinage
of the same character belongs to the time when the kingdom
revolted, in the person of Frederic I., against the despotism
of Christian II., 1531-35. During 1563-64 a considerable
number of pieces in gold and silver were struck by
Frederick II. of Denmark in the contest against Eric
XIV. of Sweden :
ducats, marks, and skillings. The next
in order of date was the coinage of Christian IV. in connection
with the Thirty
Years' War and that in Holstein
against the Swedes, the whole extending over nearly twentysix
years (1622-48) ;
and the series concludes with the
obsidional or occasional money issued by Christian V.,
1674-79, m a second war with Sweden, and by Frederic
VI. from 1808 to I815, 1 while the Continent was agitated
by the ambitious schemes of Napoleon I. It may, in
fact, be predicated of Denmark and Sweden that civil
discord, mutual jealousy, and a common passion for intervening
in European affairs, were the three agencies which,
coupled with the unpropitious climate, have tended not
merely to preclude their advance, but to favour a retrograde
movement.
Of the mints and denominations a fairly adequate account
has been already supplied. The krona and or are at present
the silver and copper units in succession to the skilling ;
and the current coinage
is
composed of 20 and 10 krona
in gold, i, 2, 10, 25, 40, and 50 krona in silver, and I, 2,
and 5 ore in bronze. A krona is = I oo ore. Christian V.
issued in 1878 pieces of 20, 10, and 5 cents in silver of
the ship type, and I cent in bronze, for St. Thomas's. The
former monetary basis, the skilling, underwent many vicissitudes,
and fluctuated in value according to circumstances.
The skilling of 1622 in silver is heavier than that in copper
of 1812; and one of 1771 is on a larger flan and of
superior weight to a piece of 1710 current for Tolf skilling
Danske, with the legend Dominus Mihi Adiutor, and below
the date the letters C.W.
1
Including the rigsbanktegns of Frederic VI., 1813-14, for 16 and 6 skillings.