One of the rarest groszy from the Duchy of Prussia.
It is the first grosz issued by Albrecht Hohenzollern and the first grosz of the newly established state.
After years of war with Poland, the Teutonic Order in Prussia was secularized in 1525. Based on the Treaty of Kraków concluded between Sigismund I the Old and his nephew (the last Grand Master of the Order), Albrecht Hohenzollern, Ducal Prussia was established. From the moment of the Prussian homage, Prussia had been a vassal of Poland, as evidenced by the crowned shield bearing the monogram “S” (from SIGISMVNDVS) on the eagle’s breast.
Albrecht’s minting activity was extensive. He struck denominations ranging from the denarius to the six-grosz throughout his long reign. He minted groszy from 1529 to 1558, but it is precisely these two extreme years that are the rarest.
The 1529 issue is also significant from a typological perspective. It is the only grosz featuring this type of portrait (a narrow, tall head, without the decorative shoulder guard of the armor). It is also the only one with a partially Gothic typeface (the letter “A”).
A variant featuring a bust with five rivets in the horizontal section (described in Dariusz Ostrowski’s catalog available at marciniak.com).
