Frederik VI

Frederik VI and the end of the union

Frederik VI governed as regent for his father Christian VII from 1784 and became king in 1808. His years as king of Norway were dominated by the Napoleonic Wars: the British blockade cut off grain imports, causing hardship in Norway, and the state finances collapsed. By the Treaty of Kiel on 14 January 1814 Norway was ceded to the king of Sweden, ending more than four centuries of union with Denmark. One of his lasting legacies in Norway is the university in Christiania, founded in 1811 and named after him.

The 2 skilling of 1810 and 1811

The 2 skilling was a key small coin in the war years. The coins here weigh around 8–9 grams and are found in several die variants, which specialist catalogues such as Thesen (2015) and the Norwegian NM/NMB references separate by letter (for example 5A and 5b). That makes the type well suited for variant collecting.

What is a riksbanktegn?

After the state bankruptcy of 1813 a new currency, the riksbankdaler, was introduced. Riksbanktegn were copper coins in this currency. At Kongsberg they were struck from 1813 to 1815 in values of 6 and 12 skilling, all dated 1813. In Norway they were recalled towards the end of 1815, while they remained valid longer in Denmark. Norges Bank and the speciedaler only arrived in 1816, under Carl XIII.

What affects quality and price?

Several of the 2 skilling here are in Very Fine to Extremely Fine condition, which is attractive for war-time coins. Look at sharpness, surface, any cleaning and variant attribution. On the riksbanktegn, die breaks and an uneven strike are common.

See also Christian VII, and continue with Carl XIII, Norway’s first king after 1814.