Haven't been on this thread for a while

...
Big shout out to @Finn70 for pre-1500 dated gold, which is very tough

And to @paralyse and @JohnK for those two recent beauties.
I am working on a Poland OFEY, and where there are gaps (like 1541-1544), I am grabbing nearby countries with some link to Poland. So here is a 1541 groschen of Ducal Prussia (later it was called East Prussia).
For those interested in the history, the Teutonic Knights endured a series of defeats at the hands of Poland-Lithuania in the mid and late 15th centuries which seriously diminished their powers. Albert, the chap on this coin, was the last Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights. In 1525, he convertd to Lutheranism, renounced his loyalty to the Holy Roman Emperor and Pope, and placed his fealty with the King of Poland, who also happened to be his uncle. He thereby became the first Duke of Prussia.
The link to Poland is not only familial. Much of the territory of Albert's Ducal Prussia eventually became part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the late 1500s, and is part of modern Poland.


Edited by tdziemia
08/02/2020 9:20 pm