This month I will be showing off some 17th and 18th century coins I managed to acquire at an extremely good price. These coins hail from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth which dominated Eastern Europe for much of the 16th and 17th centuries, until it’s decline in the mid to late 1600’s and eventually being partitioned in three stages by the Russian Empire (1772), the kingdom of Prussia (1793), and finally the Habsburg monarchy (1795). Poland and Lithuania would then not be independent states again until 1918.
Now the picture above shows various coins throughout the life of the Commonwealth, with the 5p piece being shown as an example of the size of these coins. All of them are hammered copper, as milled coins were still in it’s infancy during this period throughout many countries during this period. Although some headway was being made in the process throughout France and Britain at this time.
The four coins on the left date from the mid-1660’s during the reign of John II Casimir Vasa. They sport both emblems which are featured as the coat of arms of both nations which give the name sake of the Commonwealth. There is the armoured horseman of Lithuanian and the argent eagle of Poland. These coins come from a period when the Commonwealth is starting it’s century long period of decline. During the two decades prior to these coins being struck, the Commonwealth had just lost a war against Russia, being forced to concede several parts of the Ukraine. Poland also suffered an invasion from Sweden, known colloquially as ‘The Deluge’. During this invasion Poland suffered heavily from the Swedes, with around 188 cities being sacked, and the population of many of them being severely destroyed (90% population destruction reported in Warsaw alone). Some historians have argued that the destruction caused by the Swedish invasion was more costly to Poland than what the country suffered during WWII. A figure estimated at 4 billion Zlotys (£750 million, $990 million) in 2012.
The coins on the right date from the mid-1750’s, from the reign of Augustus III. During his reign he saw much upheaval and disorder by many of his subjects. Augustus III and his predecessor Augustus II were relatively weak kings during the Commonwealths history. More interested on their hold of the Electoral seat of Saxony in the Holy Roman Empire, they used the Commonwealth as a vehicle to increase their standing with the German provinces. This caused the ferment of unrest as mentioned previously causing many reform movements to me founded. Consequently, this led to the rise of the Polish Enlightenment. The most interesting thing about the Polish Enlightenment is the key strata of society which spurred the movements. In Western Europe, many of the Enlightenment movements were started by the lower classes in the bid for more freedom, tolerance and equality in society. In Poland, it was the nobility (a mere 10% of the population at the time) which started the trend.
Finally, the coin at the bottom of the group, dates from the reign of Stanislaw II, the successor of Augustus III. Also the last king of the united Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. His reign saw the final collapse and destruction of the Commonwealth. With the final blows starting with the first partition of Poland in 1772. His successful attempt at a constitutional reform in May 1791 came too late however, and the Commonwealth ceased to exist as a political entity after the third partition in 1795. The constitution set up by Stanislaw is unique in that it is the first constitution of the modern period in Europe, second worldwide after the US constitution of 1787.
Tied in with the coins above, I also acquired one more coin from the Kingdom of Prussia. Dating from 1795, it coincides with the final year of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, with Frederick William II being one of the chief overseers of the Commonwealths death throws.
As well as overseeing the final partition of the Commonwealth, Frederick was keen in wars across much of Europe. Particularly fighting against the French in attempts to keep (which was seen at the time), poisonous pervading influences of the French Revolution from tainting other European countries. However, poor finances and promises to coalition partners caused much of his efforts to be stunted, a situation further exacerbated by the newly acquired Polish territories in 1795.
Numismatic Exploits 