2 öre, Åbo, Gustav I Vasa, 1558
The 2 öre coin was minted in several places from 1536: in Stockholm from 1536–1537 & from 1557–1560, in Västerås from 1538–1540, in Svartsjö from 1541–1549 and in Turku from 1556–1558. The largest production of coins probably took place in Stockholm and Västerås. From Västerås we also know the names of two coin engravers, Gorius the painter and Ulrich, who came to Sweden from Nuremberg.
The design on the obverse (front) of the coin is the king's image and the reverse (back) shows different designs on different 2-öre coins. There is either a crowned shield with three crowns lying on a large cross or a shield containing three crowns around a vase shield with different variations. The inscription on the obverse (the text on the front) is: ‘GOSTAVS D G REX SWECIE’ with variations, telling us that Gustav Vasa is the King of Sweden. The inscription on the reverse is: ‘MONETA NOVA’ followed by (STOCH) or (WEST), which tells us that the 2 öre denomination is a new denomination and that the coins were minted in Stockholm or Västerås. Some types of 2-öre coins have the motto ‘OMNIS POTESTAS A DEO’, which means ‘All power is of God’.
