First vintage of Danzig ducats of John III Sobieski with a new type of royal bust, wearing a crown and armor with the Order of the Holy Spirit received by the king in 1676.
Variety with the letter P at the end of the obverse obverse inscriptions and with a broad wreath on the reverse.
An outstanding piece of beauty, especially for ducats of the Republic.
A coin of incredible presence with a strong, fresh mirror background.
Mint Piece. Perfect details, the background impressive, giving the coin a mirror effect.
Obverse: bust wearing a crown and armor decorated with a lion's head on the epaulet, to the right
IOAN III D G REX POL M D L R P
Reverse: two lions supporting an oval shield with the coat of arms of Gdansk, above it a wreath with a flower, below it an ornamental cartouche, by the lions' legs the initials D-L
MON AUREA CIVITAT GEDAN 1683
Gold, diameter 25 mm, weight 3.48 g
In view of the unrealistic assumptions of the minting ordinance of 1676, the following year the extraordinary parliament decided to return to the ordinance of 1658, from the time of Jan Kazimierz. In 1677 the Bydgoszcz mint was launched, followed two years later by the Cracow mint. Crown coins were minted there - trojaks, sixpences, orts, thalers, ducats and two-ducats. The crown minting during the reign of Jan Sobieski was burdened by outstanding liabilities to Titus Livius Boratini, dating back to the time of Jan Kazimierz. In order to satisfy the claims of the minting entrepreneur, the lease of the mints in Bydgoszcz and later in Cracow was transferred to him. After Boratini's death (1682), the lease passed to his heirs (until 1684). For this reason, some of the crown coins bear the initials "TLB" placed on coins even after Boratini's death. Of the city mints, only the Danzig mint worked during the period in question, minting shekels, thalers and gold coins.
