The minting of King Ladislaus IV made history with coarse coinage. Throughout his reign, mints minted only high denominations from half-talars to ducats. This had to do with a reform introduced at the end of the reign of his father, Sigismund III, banning the minting of small coinage, which only John Casimir decided to change.
Władysław's main denomination became the thaler, which was minted at crown and city mints. Its regular issuance was carried out by only three of them: the crown mint in Bydgoszcz (which was replaced by Kraków at the end of the reign), Gdańsk and Toruń. Of these, it is the Danzig thalers that are the rarest in trade, and completing them by vintage is a major challenge.
The 1640 Danzig thaler is a rare vintage distinguished by a wide variety of varieties.
It is a coin minted during the administration of Gerhard Rogge (initials G.R.), who took over the mints from Jakub Jakobson. A variety with lions' tails singular, the date in an ornate cartouche, and the bust of the king broad. With legends ending in RVS PRVS / GEDANENSIS. We have this variety for only the second time in its history.
A great advantage of the present piece is additionally a nice state of preservation. It is a natural, healthy piece, not tired with circulation. With no unusual defects. With a single strike at 12 o'clock. With nice relief, especially of the reverse.
Attractive, especially for a Danzig thaler of this ruler.
Silver, diameter 45 mm, weight 28.93 g.
Obverse: crowned bust to the right. In the rim the inscription:
VLAD IIII D G REX POL ET SVE M D LIT RVS PRVS.
Reverse: two lions holding the coat of arms of Gdansk standing on a cartouche with the date. Below them initials G-R, above them a wreath with two palm branches and a sprig of laurel. In the rim:
COIN ARGENTEA CIVITATIS GEDANENSIS.
