Riga 1595 3 groschen
This specimen was lot 24478 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (Newport Beach, CA, January 2021), where it sold for $180. The catalog description[1] noted, "POLAND. 3 Grossus, 1595. Riga Mint. Sigismund III (Zygmunt III Waza). PCGS MS-62 Gold Shield. A slightly off center struck coin with bold detail on the central devices and legends. There is little in the way of toning, though some planchet streaking is noted." 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.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: silver.
Catalog reference: Kop-8191.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Richard Ponterio and Kyle Ponterio, The January 2021 NYINC Sale: Ancient Coins, World Coins & Paper Money, featuring the Oro del Nuevo Mundo and Matt Orsini Collections, Santa Ana, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2020.
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