The rarest vintage of Danzig's bicentennials.
Not only ending the short history of issuance of this denomination in Gdansk, but also unique in terms of workmanship.
This is the only vintage entirely stamped, and not, as in previous years, mainly embossed with a rolling mill.
It was a negligible issue when minted, with a return to the traditional method. Considering the fact that all - only four - 1653 bicorns recorded in Polish archives since 1994 (for more than 30 years!) have come from a single pair of stamps, one can even speak of a deliberate extinction of the issue. Particularly since the other Prussian cities (Torun and Elblag) stop minting this denomination as early as 1651, and Danzig itself uses the 1651 roll in 1652, only with a reworked date.
Another important aspect of this vintage is its workmanship. The stamps for them were most likely prepared by Jan Höhn the elder, and are much richer artistically, especially against the 1652 issue. On the obverse appears a new bust, in a border, reminiscent of that of the early 1650s donations. On the reverse, meanwhile, is a beautiful, richly decorated cartouche with the coat of arms of Gdansk. The stamp method also avoids the numerous sheet metal defects and minting imperfections known from previous, rolled double-grosses.
A first in our history.
Listings at unit auctions, at high levels.
