Gustav I Vasa was king of Sweden reigning from 1523 until his death in 1560. He was a founder of the Vasa ruling line, who established Swedish sovereignty independent of Denmark. Gustav's election as king on 6 June 1523 and his triumphant entry into Stockholm eleven days later marked Sweden's final secession from the Kalmar Union and the Roman Catholic Church.

Gustav the Ist has subsequently been labelled the founder of modern Sweden and the "father of the nation". He liked to compare himself to Moses, whom he believed to have also liberated his people and established a sovereign state. As a person, Gustav was known for ruthless methods and a bad temper, but also a fondness for music and had a certain sly wit and ability to outmanoeuvre and annihilate his opponents. He founded one of the now oldest orchestras of the world, the Kungliga Hovkapellet (Royal Court Orchestra).

His coins, which were known as "klippings," consisted of copper with a very slight admixture of silver. On one side of a coin, the bust of a man in armour is depicted. On the other, crowns and arrows, with the inscription: ERI[KS]SO[N].

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