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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;The Eidolon, post: 4556402, member: 102103&quot;]Day 81:&nbsp; Norway, 2 Skilling Courant, 1810, Frederik VI</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1128067[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>Another Napoleonic Era coin, from the tail end of the unified Kingdom of Denmark</p><p>and Norway.&nbsp; I believe Norway and Denmark had separate coinage, though.&nbsp; The </p><p>crossed hammers are the mint mark for Kongsberg (&quot;King&#039;s Mountain&quot;), site of a </p><p>massive silver mine and the mint which produced much of Norway&#039;s coinage.&nbsp; The</p><p>2 Skilling was a silver coin until 1807, and then this large copper type was </p><p>introduced in 1810.&nbsp; Denmark-Norway had serious economic problems due to the </p><p>reciprocal trade embargoes of France and the UK during the Napoleonic Wars, and </p><p>Denmark went bankrupt in 1813.</p><p><br /></p><p>Initially, Denmark-Norway had tried to remain neutral in the Napoleonic wars.&nbsp; As </p><p>the situation on the Continent worsened for the UK, it preemptively attacked </p><p>Denmark and sunk/captured its fleet at Copenhagen to keep the fleet from being </p><p>used by France.&nbsp; Thus provoked, Denmark sided with France and joined the </p><p>Continental System.&nbsp; The UK responded by blockading Denmark, which resulted in starvation in Norway shortly thereafter.&nbsp; Norway was not nearly self-sufficient in grain, and could not obtain enough food through overland trade.</p><p><br /></p><p>Russia had changed sides during the wars, briefly allying with France so that it </p><p>could attack the UK&#039;s ally, Sweden.&nbsp; Russia conquered Finland from Sweden in </p><p>1808-9.&nbsp; Having gained what it wanted, Russia soured on its alliance with </p><p>France, and began loosening its restrictions on trade with the UK.&nbsp; (The loss of </p><p>trade had greatly harmed Russian financially.)&nbsp; Both Russia and France began </p><p>preparing for another war.&nbsp; (They had fought against each other in 1807 when </p><p>Russia had joined the Fourth Coalition against France.)&nbsp;&nbsp; Napoleon would respond</p><p>with his disastrous invasion of Russia in 1812.</p><p><br /></p><p>Anyway, in spite of its loss of Finland, Sweden was on the winning side of the </p><p>Napoleonic wars.&nbsp; As Sweden and Russian were nominal allies in the Sixth Coalition, </p><p>Sweden could not expect to regain Finland as part of the peace settlement.&nbsp; So the </p><p>allies promised it Norway instead.&nbsp; Thus Norway was ruled by Sweden for almost </p><p>100 years, from 1814-1905.&nbsp; Norway had resisted this transition, with the crown </p><p>prince of Denmark arriving to agitate in the name of Norwegian self-determination, </p><p>and declaring himself King of Norway.&nbsp; After a brief war in 1814, Norway was forced </p><p>to accept Swedish rule.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>As a side note, Sweden had a very capable military commander during the war, </p><p>because they swiped him from France.&nbsp; Jean Bernadotte was a Marshal of the </p><p>French Empire, but was offered the position of Crown Prince of Sweden to </p><p>provide an heir to the childless Charles XIII of Sweden.&nbsp; Bernadotte was seen as a </p><p>capable military commander, who would put Sweden in a safer position with regard</p><p>to potential future conflict with Russia.&nbsp; He ruled Sweden and Norway as King </p><p>Charles XIV John, and the House of Bernadotte is still the ruling family of Sweden.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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