1/4 Skilling Sweden

The 1/4 skilling was so small that it could slip through the fingers of a child, weighing under a gram and measuring barely 15 millimeters across.

This copper coin served as Sweden's answer to everyday fractional needs from 1718 to 1776. Minted in places like Avesta, it featured a simple design: the three crowns on one side, a numeral on the other. Production varied by year, with some strikes showing signs of hasty work due to copper shortages.

We don't know the exact mintage figures; those records vanished in the 1838 fire at the national archives. What we do have are worn examples, often dug up from old farms, testifying to their widespread use.

Planchets were sometimes recycled from scrap metal, a practical if unromantic choice.

And if you're handling one, remember: it's not a toy, though it might fit in a thimble.