Poland 1534 groschen
This specimen was lot 1383 in Stephen Album sale 30 (Santa Rosa, CA, January 2018), where it did not sell. The catalog description[1] noted, "POLAND: Sigismund I, 1506-1548, AR groschen, 1534, couple tiny obverse scratches. lightly toned, AU." The kingdom of Poland came under the rule of the king of Sweden, Sigismund III, in 1587. He converted to Roman Catholicism to accept the Polish crown, which caused the Swedish diet to depose him. He invaded Sweden in an attempt to reclaim his throne but was unsuccessful. The expenses of the war damaged and weakened the Polish monarchy, but the main source of Polish weakness was the greed and selfishness of the Polish nobility. This type was struck 1528-35 and should probably be filed under Poland, as the margrave of Prussia struck his own groschen.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 2.06 g, silver, this specimen 1.97 g.
Catalog reference: Kopicki 3090, Gumowski-530.
- [1]Album, Stephen, Joseph Lang, Paul Montz, Michael Barry and Norman Douglas Nicol, Auction 30, featuring the George Anderson Collection of Tibetan Coins, the Dr. John W. Lund Collection of Swedish Coins and the Mike Edwards Collection, Santa Rosa, CA: Stephen Album Rare Coins, Inc., 2018.
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