An original coin that was used as jewelry: it shows signs of surface overheating and a mark where a hanging loop was removed.
A distinctive thaler featuring an artistic portrait of the king, popularly known as the “armorer.” A coin whose minting, in addition to its economic value, also held prestige. As Janusz Parchimowicz emphasizes, “the king was very keen for the largest coin to be beautiful and to fully reflect the solemnity of royal majesty.”
This is an important issue with a rich history; its creation was preceded by a competition featuring a series of trial strikes, resulting in dies crafted by the outstanding medalist of that era—Jan Filip Hollzhaeuser. You can read about their history on the SAP Silver Coins blog, among other places. The “armored figure” itself is a design specific to just one year. The highly detailed, almost medal-like royal portrait proved too time-consuming for circulation coins, and as early as the following year, it was replaced with a bust of Stanisław August alone.
Silver, diameter 42 mm, weight 27.41 g.
