I have an swedish money plate stamped 1736 marked FRS and DALER SILFMYNT
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SaorAlba Posts: 7,555 ✭✭✭✭✭
Sweden had resource issues with money during the 17th and early 18th centuries. An abundance of copper and a shortage of silver and gold for money. The Swedes were often at war with their neighbours, Russia, Denmark-Norway and even had possessions in Germany that were bickered over. All that war and conquest meant a lousy economy. So in the 1640s they started issuing the bronze plate money in denominations up to 10 dalers, the example of that one weighs in at nearly 20 kilograms.
These were made up until 1768, then were finally demonetized in 1776. About 90% of what hadn't already been smelted was being sent to Asia as ballast on a ship called The Nicobar in 1783, the ship was wrecked off the coast of S. Africa in July of that year. Pieces from that wreck are most often what you encounter with Swedish plate money and they are most likely heavily corroded and devalued as collectables.
Your piece appears to have had an old cleaning as though it was polished up a bit in the past. I'm wondering if that is the attempt at a hole on the left hand side also. That said, fortunately it is obviously not a sea salvage piece. Valuing these can be a bit tough as they are generally worth more in Europe than in N. America and the catalogs in N. America are a bit out of date. Heritage auctions and Cng auctions have records of sales of these and can be a guide of the value. I myself own a denomination type set up to the 4 daler, but have acquired them starting about 20 years ago and paid less than they are worth now.
Tir nam beann, nan gleann, s'nan gaisgeach ~ Saorstat Albanaich a nis!7
Answers
Swedish, yes, Copper (Cannon Bronze), yes. Looks good, looks a bit better than average condition.
The Standard Catalog of World Coins says 400 to 800 dollars, but this is something that is hard to gauge until you inspect it in person - both sides and edges too.
I have only seen and/or handled two dozen of these that were nice, and I've seen about sixty that were sea salvaged/shipwreck that had significant loss of weight and more problems. There would be others who know a lot more than me, and I hope they respond.
Thank you. It is in good shape.