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Szeląg gdański - Interregnum Gdańsk mint
| Issuer | Gdańsk Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 1573 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 0.98 g |
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| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Central device comprising the arms of Gdańsk: two heraldic crosses surmounted by a large ornate crown with floral finials, all rendered in a bold hammered style. The entire device is set within a rope or beaded inner border. The circular Latin legend surrounding the device incorporates the date 1573, divided by mullets or star-shaped stops, and reads continuously around the field. |
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| Mint | Gdańsk Mint |
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| Additional information |
The 1573 Gdańsk szeląg falls squarely within the interregnum following the sudden death of Sigismund II Augustus in 1572 — the last Jagiellonian king, who died without an heir. During the ensuing vacancy, Gdańsk retained considerable autonomy as a semi-independent trading city and continued striking coinage under its own civic authority rather than royal mandate. The interregnum lasted nearly two years before Henri Valois was elected, then fled Poland within months, prolonging the constitutional chaos.
Kopicki 7386 places this issue among the civic coinage struck without royal authorization — a jurisdictional grey area that Gdańsk exploited with some regularity throughout the sixteenth century.