FORTIA’s TRAVELS IN SWEDEN. 535

Thefe fheets were made of a very foft and highly malleable copper, in the fhape of along fquare, and about as thick as three half crowns laid together, and were marked atthe four corners with the arms of Sweden ; in the middle the value was ftamped.Thofe which were current for a rix-dollar, weighed five pounds and a half.

180 dollars filbermunt, or 540 dollars koppermunt, in fheets of the value of 4 dollarsto half a dollar filbermunt, or from 12 dollars koppermunt, were made from a fchippundof 320 pounds provifion weight. 900 dollars of copper money ftamped and rimmed,of from 6 cers to half an oeer koppermunt , from one fchippund of copper, provifionWeight.

The ftandard of the pieces of one oeer, is 2 den. 8 grs;

of thofe — of four oers, — 3 ) 8

of thofe — from 5 to 1 o, — 5 8

In 171 6 , pieces of five and fix oers were coined much inferior to the ffandard of thecoins before mentioned.

Impreffwns.

The golden ducat has the King’s head on one fide with his name in latin, and thislegend : D. G. Rex Suecia: ; on the other a circular fhield, the ground azure, withthree golden crowns furrounded by the chain of the order of the Seraphim, and thislegend : Faderneslandet. The date is under the fhield, and is divided by the crofsof the order which alfo difjoins thefe two letters O L diftinguifhed above the date.

The impreflion on the rix-dollars, plottes, and double plottes is fimilar to that on the'ducats,-except that on the field of the reverfe, the value for which they are current isftamped, and on the rim is feen this legend: Ne Itedar avaris manibus. The fmallerfilver pieces have the initial of the Sovereign on one fide, and within his diftinguifhingcypher with the fingle word : Fadernejlandet; on the oppofite fide they have the famefiiield as the ducats, but without the chain. On the right of the field the value isftamped, and R. O. M. on the left, in a line with the figures..

The copper coins have an argent fhield with three bars undulated with azure, a lion-crowned, with his throat ftrongly marked, and an abridged legend compofed of the ini-tial of the Sovereign with his diftinguifhing cypher, and S. G. V. R. The three-crowns which form the arms of Sweden , are placed one on the dexter fide, the other onthe finifter, and the third at the bottom of the fhield. On the other fide are two ar-*o\ys making a St. Andrew’s Crofs, with the crown of Sweden , the date and a mark-expreffive of the value. Late coins have a chain round the rim.. The rundftiick hasthree crowns on one fide, and above them G. R. S., below is the date ; on the otherfide is a fhield with two arrows forming a St. Andrew ’s crofs; on the right of the fhield isfigure of i. and the letter K., on the left the two letters O. R.., below which M. is placed.

Obfervations.

The Swedifti coins are generally well ftruck, particularly thofe of gold and filver.Little fpecie of the coinage of the country is feen in. circulation, but a nun.oer of Dutch -ducats. They are exchanged at par for thofe of Sweden, not-withftanding the Dutch ducat be only 23 carats 5 grains fine. Somewhat more of the filver coin is in circula-tion ; they, as well as thofe of gold are ftamped with the greateft nicety, and in confe-rence are in high eftimation; the exportation of them is rigidly prohibited, as well asthe copper coinage, which offers a gain of 30 per cent.

There is no fixed relation of value between gold and filver in Sweden . . In 1755,.the proportion was 1 to 18, which is difficult to believe; in Swedifti Pomerania it is

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