1 Solidus - Imitating Christina, 1632-1654 Suceava counterfeit; type B2

Features

Location Swedish Livonia
Type Contemporary counterfeits › Contemporary counterfeit
Years 1662-1672
Value 1 Solidus
Currency Swedish Livonia - Suceava Counterfeits
Composition Billon
Weight 0.51 g
Diameter 15 mm
Shape Round
Demonetized Yes
Number
N#
185969
References Haljak II# 1618
Gunnar Haljak, Antti Haljak; 2010. Livonian Coins / Part I. Feudal States : Livonian Coins from XIII-XVI Century : XIII-XVIII Century. self-published, Tallin, Estonia.
And 1 more volumes.

Obverse

Vasa arms inside crowned monogram and surrounded by legend.

Script: Latin

Lettering:
CHRISTINA · D · G · R · S ·
C

Translation:
Christina Dei Gratia Regina Sveciae
Christina, with God's grace, Queen of Sweden

Reverse

Griffin holding two swords with its feet and surrounded by legend.

Script: Latin

Lettering: SOLIDVS · LIONAE · 18

Translation:
Solidus Livoniae
Schilling of Livonia

Edge

Smooth.

Mint

Suceava, Romania

Comments

The exact lettering of the surrounding legend may vary.

In 1662, under the reign of Eustratie Dabija (1661-1665), the Suceava mint was re-opened in Moldovia (modern-day Romania). With the help of mintmaster Tito Livio Burattini, the mint struck many counterfeits of Livonian solidus pieces. Some say these counterfeits were used as a way to ruin the Livonian economy; others say they were struck to help Moldavia get out of their financial crisis.

Either way, these counterfeits were continally produced even after Eustratie Dabija's death, spanning over the reigns of George Ducas (1665-1666), Iliaş Alexandru (1666-1668), and the second reign of George Ducas (1668-1672) as well.

These coins differ from the original pieces in a few ways: they appear much more coppery (either made of copper or very low-quality billon, depending on the source), they typically (but not always) have ficticious dates, and they are often much cruder than the originals. Even so, these forgeries are still very collectable, and are usually worth more than the real pieces.

Theoretically, for each monogram, four types of counterfeits are possible:
Type 1) Riga with crossed keys (Riga/Riga)
Type 2) Livonia with griffon (Livonia/Livonia)
Type 3) Riga with griffon (Riga/Livonia)
Type 4) Livonia with crossed keys (Livonia/Riga)



Type 1 and Type 2 are imitating actual coins; Type 3 and Type 4 are mules of actual coins, meaning there is no original counterparts to them. While four types are, in theory, possible, no Type 4 counterfeits are known.

For those imitating Carl X Gustav, Type 1, Type 2, and Type 3 counterfeits are known.

See also

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Date VG F VF XF AU UNC
ND (1662-1672)  Year '155'
ND (1662-1672)  Year '18'
ND (1662-1672)  Year '52'
ND (1662-1672)  Year '55'
ND (1662-1672)  Year '58'
ND (1662-1672)  Year '60'

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Past sales

Pictures Sale Date Version Grade Sold price
Picture 1 of a sold 1 Solidus - Imitating Christina, 1632-1654 (Suceava counterfeit; type B2)
Katz
Auction 77
Lot 2635
Internet Archive
11 Feb 2023 Undetermined VF USD 9.73
(EUR 9.00)
(+ buyer's premium)
The lot includes several items.
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