Plate Money 4 Daler

The 4 Daler plate money from Sweden was essentially a slab of copper you could use as a doorstop, weighing anywhere from 2 to 20 kilograms depending on the issue, which made it one of the bulkiest currencies in history.

These plates were produced between 1644 and 1776 to leverage Sweden's copper reserves, with each one stamped by hand at the Avesta or other mints. Workers cut them from larger sheets, then engraved the denomination and date directly onto the metal. It's unclear exactly how many were made; records from that era are spotty, likely lost in various administrative fires.

For circulation, they'd pass from hand to hand like awkward heirlooms, often more trouble than they were worth. A collector once quipped that trying to counterfeit one would be like forging a manhole cover.

In the end, Sweden phased them out for smaller coins, recognizing that not every treasure needs to double as a weight plate.