Watch List notes:

Sweden, The dukes Johan and Karl SM 4 1 mark 1568 3.27 g. Stockholm. One year type! Of this extremely rare one year type we have recorded only two examples in addition to the one offered here. The other examples are 1) Ex Gunnar Ekström, Ahlström auction 11, lot 23 and 2) Ex Isidor Adolf Bonnier, D. Holmberg auction 98, lot 29d in 1913, Ex. C-O. Algård, Ahlström auction 5, lot 109. This denomination is the second most scarce of the Vadstena klippe series ('Blood money klippes'), behind on the 4 mark which is unique in private hands. Once in a life time opportunity! Lightly tooled/worked in fields. Else a clear and representative example that would take a place in every collection. RRR. Ex Hans Menzinsky 2005. Ex Stockholms Auktionsverk March 1991, lot 8096. Ex Hirsch auction 38, lot 95. Ex Sven Svensson (SS 1284), SNF auction May 1965, lot 45, buyer C-O. Algård. SMB 6. Erik XIV was delusional and out of paranoia he assassinated a group of Noblemen already imprisoned by him for supposed treason. The story goes that The King and his men arrived Uppsala Castle on May 24 1568, and when they left, the following noblemen were no longer alive, Svante, Erik and Nils Sture, Arbaham Stenbock and Ivar Liljeörn. After The King had calmed down he was struck by regret and told that he wanted to compensation in way of blood money to Märta Lejonhufvud, the widow of Svante Sture. This happened - however she immediately gave the silver paid to Counts Johan (III) and Karl (IX). The brothers were already plotting to overthrow their elder brother and this silver gift was further help in this intricate power struggle. The silver was used to mint coins in Vadstena under supervision of moneyer Mickel Hansson. The mintage was carried out hastily, hence the form of klippes were chosen and the relatively simple design. The uprising was successful and the King was overthrown, with Johan III ascending the throne. The political turbulence of 1568 is evident numismatically from the fact that Erik XIV, Johan III and Counts Johan and Karl all minted coins with this date. Only once more in Swedish history it has happened that three different regents or individuals with minting rights have dated their coinage with the same date, namely in 1598. 1/1+