Baron Carl Bildt on Kristina, Pope Alexander VII and coin collecting

Source:

Anteckningar från Italien af en svensk diplomat, page 102, by Baron Carl Bildt, 1896; original at Oxford University (digitised January 27, 2025)

https://books.google.com/books?id=7pJQ1piH4EkC&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&dq=andreas+galdenblad&source=gbs_navlinks_s

The account:

På 1600-talet var myntsamleri på allra högsta modet, och då som nu vurmade man naturligtvis mest för hvad som var omöjligt att få. Kejsar Otho hade emellertid haft den hänsynslösheten att slå jämförelsevis få mynt och medaljer; han var väl ej nog elak att enkom underlåta det för att spela samlare ett spratt, men han hade antagligen viktigare saker att tänka på. Sak samma! Medaljer med hans bild voro otroligt svåra att få, fast alla samlare bjödo stora summor för den minsta kopparslant. Bland de ifrigaste voro vår drottning Kristina, och den gode påfven Alexander VII, som då (1660) ej ännu hunnit blifva så utledsen på henne, som han sedermera blef, utfäste en hederlig belöning åt den, som kunde skaffa honom en rar medalj att skänka åt kyrkans nya dotter. Den, som finner råd, finner allt, heter det, och det begaf sig verkligen, att då några gräfningar strax efteråt skulle ske i termerna vid Anagni, så hittades oförmodadt några exemplar af den där intressanta medaljen. Och det, fast ingen människa förut haft någon aning om att kejsar Otho haft det minsta med Anagni att göra. Fyndet bragtes genast till påfven och förärades af honom till Kristina.

English translation (my own):

In the 17th century coin collecting was at its height, and then as now people were naturally most passionate about what was impossible to obtain. Emperor Otho, however, had the recklessness to strike comparatively few coins and medals; he was certainly not mean enough to simply omit to do so in order to play a trick on collectors, but he probably had more important things to think about. The same thing! Medals with his image were incredibly difficult to obtain, although all collectors offered large sums for the smallest copper coin.

Among the most enthusiastic were our Queen Kristina, and the good Pope Alexander VII, who at that time (1660) had not yet become as enamoured of her as he later became, promised an honourable reward to anyone who could procure him a rare medal to present to the new daughter of the Church. He who finds advice finds everything, they say, and it indeed happened that when some excavations were to take place shortly afterwards in the baths at Anagni, some copies of that interesting medal were unexpectedly found. And this, although no one had previously had any idea that Emperor Otho had the slightest connection with Anagni. The find was immediately brought to the Pope and presented by him to Kristina.

Above: Kristina.

Above: Pope Alexander VII.

Above: Baron Carl Bildt.

Note: Otho (born April 28, 32 A.D., died April 16, 69 A.D.) was Roman emperor, ruling for just three months from January 15 to April 16, 69 A.D. He was the second emperor in the Year of the Four Emperors.