1 Dukat 1654 Sweden

This 1654 Swedish dukat was struck during the final months of Queen Christina's reign, just before her abdication and conversion to Catholicism shook Europe.

The coin features her portrait on the obverse, a bold design choice for a female monarch in an era dominated by male rulers. On the reverse, you'll find the Swedish coat of arms, complete with the three crowns. Weighing about 3.5 grams of pure gold, it was intended for international trade, not domestic circulation.

We don't know the exact mintage; records from that period are spotty, with many lost in later wars. What survives shows it was produced in the Stockholm mint, using techniques borrowed from Dutch standards.

Some numismatists note the edge is often uneven, a sign of hurried production as political turmoil loomed. That's par for the course with 17th-century coins.