20 zloty - The thaler of Ladislas Vasa
Series: Poland - History of Polish Coin
What distinguishes the mintage of the times ofKing Ladislas Vasa (1632–1648) is the lack of smallcoin. As early as in 1627, the Sejm banned the issueof such coin. The reasons behind the ban werethe debasement of domestic coin and an inflow ofa substantial amount of foreign low-quality coinsfor speculative purposes.
Consequently, the mintage of King Ladislas Vasa isassociated with impressive thick coins such as goldducats and silver half-thalers and thalers. They wereminted both by the crown mint in Bydgoszcz andmints in Gdańsk and Toruń. We will be particularlyinterested in the thaler struck by the Bydgoszczmint in 1642 as the coin served to produce a coincommemorating the mintage of the oldest son ofKing Sigismund Vasa. The obverse of the new coinfeatures a round stamp with the coat of arms andname of the Republic of Poland, date 2017 andface value 20 ZŁ. The background of certificationis the reverse of the ancient thaler of King LadislasVasa of 1642, with the crowned nine-field escutcheonwith the coats of arms of Poland, Lithuania, Swedenand Gotland, and the Vasa family (sheaf of hay) inthe centre. The escutcheon is encircled with the chainof the Order of the Golden Fleece, which is separatedby an inscription at the bottom. The escutcheon isflanked by the date 16 – 4Z and letters G – G, the initialsof Gabriel Gerlöff, the lessee of the Bydgoszczmint. Surrounding the escutcheon is the legend:·SAM[ogitiae]:LIV[oniae]:NEC:NO[n]:SV[ecorum](Golden Fleece) GOT[orum]:VAN[dalorum]:Q[ue]:HAE[reditarius]:REX·
Ladislas Vasa on horseback is placed against thisbackground. The image is modelled on the scene ofthe homage paid by the Russian boyars to the King afterthe Polish capture of Smoleńsk. The scene is picturedon the side of the royal sarcophagus at Wawel Cathedralin Cracow.
The reverse side of the commemorative coin, thatis the main side of the thaler of Ladislas Vasa,features a beautiful bust of the richly dressed Kingwearing a crown, and the legend along the rim:VLA[dislaus]:IIII:D[ei]:G[ratia]:REX:POL[oniae]·(the small escutcheon features the coat of arms of SasJan Daniłowicz, the Grand Treasurer of the Crown)M[agnus]·D[ux]:LIT[uaniae]:RVS[siae]:PR[ussiae]:MA[soviae]·, which together is translated as: LadislasVasa, by the Grace of God, King of Poland, Grand Dukeof Lithuania, Ruthenia, Prussia, Masovia, Samogitia,Livonia and also the hereditary king of the Swedes,Goths and Vandals.
In the background of the image of the royal bustthere is an explanation of the type of a coin: TALARWŁADYSŁAWA IV (thaler of Ladislas Vasa).Stanisław Suchodolski
Consequently, the mintage of King Ladislas Vasa isassociated with impressive thick coins such as goldducats and silver half-thalers and thalers. They wereminted both by the crown mint in Bydgoszcz andmints in Gdańsk and Toruń. We will be particularlyinterested in the thaler struck by the Bydgoszczmint in 1642 as the coin served to produce a coincommemorating the mintage of the oldest son ofKing Sigismund Vasa. The obverse of the new coinfeatures a round stamp with the coat of arms andname of the Republic of Poland, date 2017 andface value 20 ZŁ. The background of certificationis the reverse of the ancient thaler of King LadislasVasa of 1642, with the crowned nine-field escutcheonwith the coats of arms of Poland, Lithuania, Swedenand Gotland, and the Vasa family (sheaf of hay) inthe centre. The escutcheon is encircled with the chainof the Order of the Golden Fleece, which is separatedby an inscription at the bottom. The escutcheon isflanked by the date 16 – 4Z and letters G – G, the initialsof Gabriel Gerlöff, the lessee of the Bydgoszczmint. Surrounding the escutcheon is the legend:·SAM[ogitiae]:LIV[oniae]:NEC:NO[n]:SV[ecorum](Golden Fleece) GOT[orum]:VAN[dalorum]:Q[ue]:HAE[reditarius]:REX·
Ladislas Vasa on horseback is placed against thisbackground. The image is modelled on the scene ofthe homage paid by the Russian boyars to the King afterthe Polish capture of Smoleńsk. The scene is picturedon the side of the royal sarcophagus at Wawel Cathedralin Cracow.
The reverse side of the commemorative coin, thatis the main side of the thaler of Ladislas Vasa,features a beautiful bust of the richly dressed Kingwearing a crown, and the legend along the rim:VLA[dislaus]:IIII:D[ei]:G[ratia]:REX:POL[oniae]·(the small escutcheon features the coat of arms of SasJan Daniłowicz, the Grand Treasurer of the Crown)M[agnus]·D[ux]:LIT[uaniae]:RVS[siae]:PR[ussiae]:MA[soviae]·, which together is translated as: LadislasVasa, by the Grace of God, King of Poland, Grand Dukeof Lithuania, Ruthenia, Prussia, Masovia, Samogitia,Livonia and also the hereditary king of the Swedes,Goths and Vandals.
In the background of the image of the royal bustthere is an explanation of the type of a coin: TALARWŁADYSŁAWA IV (thaler of Ladislas Vasa).Stanisław Suchodolski