In addition to denars, shekels, half-pennies, pennies, troyaks, sixpences and ducats, during the reign of Sigismund Augustus new kinds of money appeared: obols, two-pennies, two-groats, quadrupeds (4 pennies), half-pennies (30 pennies). The division between Crown and Lithuanian minting was in effect all the time: 4 Lithuanian pennies were equal to 5 Polish pennies. In addition, countersigned silver ducats and Spanish half-ducats appeared in monetary circulation, which was connected with the repayment of a debt by the Spanish ruler Philip II - the so-called "Neapolitan sums." During the reign of Sigismund Augustus, only the mints in Vilnius - where coins for the Lithuanian foot and the Polish foot were minted - and Gdansk worked. Sigismund Augustus' minting also included issues of a makeshift mint launched in August 1572 at Dalholm Castle, minting incomplete coins belonging to the Livonian monetary system. This was a one-time action to pay soldiers stationed in Parnava. Strictly speaking, these issues should be counted as part of the interregnum period (Sigismund Augustus died on July 7).
Sigismund Augustus' Lithuanian two-dollars were issued by the Vilnius mint in 1566-1570, and were coins minted in large quantities from 3 ½-ounce sterling silver. They weighed an average of 0.647 and contained 0.141 grams of pure bullion. On the obverse of the Lithuanian dwudenars, the royal monogram "SA" was placed under the crown, while the date was placed on its sides. On the reverse was the coat of arms of Lithuania - the Coat of Arms - and below it the number "II" - the denomination designation.
