2 dukat, Stockholm, Karl XII, 1706
This double ducat was minted in honour of Otto Arnold Paykull’s alleged gold production in Stockholm in 1706.
Paykull came from Livonia, which was then part of Sweden, but had become a Saxon major general and fought against Swedish troops at the Battle of Düna in 1701. For this, he was sentenced to death for treason.
Paykull appealed to King Karl XII of Sweden for mercy and promised that he would make gold for the king by alchemical means. But Karl XII is said to have proclaimed that Paykull would die even if he could turn Brunkeberg into gold.
Paykull was executed in Stockholm in 1707, but before that he was alleged to have made gold in prison. The gold, which was actually smuggled into the prison and not made by Paykull at all, was used by coin collector Magnus Bromell to mint a double ducat.
)Object number: 115141_KMK
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