The minting of Ladislaus IV was enshrined with "coarse" coinage. This had to do with the ban on minting small denominations, introduced during the reign of Sigismund III, and maintained until the beginning of the reign of John II Casimir. Thus, during the reign of this king, thaler and ducat coins were minted, and some of the most beautiful numismatic coins from his time are donations, in the production of which Gdańsk was a leader.
The first Wladyslaw donatives from Gdansk were created in 1634/35 and were maintained in the iconography of the donatives of the time of Sigismund III - with a representation of the ruler on the obverse and a coat of arms cartouche on the reverse. It was not until 1644 that their style was changed, with a panorama of the city on the reverse, as we see on the present piece.
This is a 1647 donative - the work of the prominent Danzig medallicist Jan Höhn the elder. It was minted in three weights: one and a half, two and three ducats. Today, the heaviest ones are among the rarest! This is confirmed by the auction listings of these coins. This is only the second three-ducat donation of 1647 to appear at auctions in Poland, where the first was listed almost 30 years ago (WCN 11, st.III, in 1996!).
This is a beautiful coin. Preserved with uncirculated detail, mint surface luster, with only a rant flaw. Its puck weight of three ducats allowed a deep minting, with a clearly marked rim and detail, on which we can admire the details of a superbly executed portrait of the king, as well as a richly nuanced view of the city. As Jaroslaw Dutkowski wrote about it,"It showed the city surrounded by ramparts and bastions. It exposed most of the significant city buildings such as the towers of the Main and Old City Hall, the helmet adorning the prison gate. The towers of almost all Gdansk churches are recognizable...". This panorama was placed between the city's coat of arms held by two lions and divine symbols(testifying to the city's devotion to Divine Protection).
This is the first time in the history of our company.
Obverse: bust of the king to the right, wearing a crown and armor decorated with braid and rivets, the Order of the Golden Fleece and a lined lace collar. In the rim:
VLAD IIII D G REX POL & SVEC M D L RVS PRVS
Reverse: a panorama of the city between a sun shield with rays (God's name in Hebrew inside) and a city shield held by lions. On the sides of the lions the date and initials G-R. In the rim:
EX AURO SOLIDO CIVITAS GEDANENSIS FIERI F (flower with horizontal branch).
