When Poland lost its independence in 1795, the Prussian currency dominated in the areas that later became part of the Duchy of Warsaw. The Warsaw mint was closed shortly after the last partition. It was only reopened in 1810, although the Duchy had already existed for three years. The mint’s operations, with a short break, lasted about five years, from 1810 till 1815, almost as long as the Duchy itself (1807–1813). Paradoxically, these dates only partly coincide as the mint was opened only three years after the conclusion of the Peace of Tilsit in 1807, which established the Duchy. The problem was the fact that the mint was privately owned by King Stanisław August. It was only after it was bought out from the king’s heir – Prince Józef Poniatowski – that minting work could begin. Ducats, thalers, 1/3 thaler (2 złoty) coins, 1/6 thaler (1 złoty) coins, 5- and 10-grosz coins, as well as copper 3-grosz (trojak) coins and grosz coins were minted. However, the mint’s operations did not cease even after the fall of the Duchy in 1813. By decision of the new Russian authorities, after a short interval, minting work was resumed under the old stamps and such coins were minted until the beginning of 1815.

In the “History of the Polish Coin” series of collector coins, the Duchy of Warsaw is represented by a popular copper coin with a face value of 3 grosz, i.e. the trojak from 1812. This was the period of Napoleon’s Great War with Russia and, at the same time, of intensive work of the mint. At that time, 20.5 million coins had been struck, including more than 13 million copper coins.

The obverse of the new collector coin features the reverse of the trojak coin with the face value of 3 GROSZ, the date 1812, and the letters I.B. This is the signature of Jakub Benik, who served as the mint’s administrator from 1811 to 1827. A contemporary source notes that he “manages the entire money-making operation.” Below the reverse of the trojak coin there is a circle with the image of the Eagle established as the state emblem of the Republic of Poland, the inscription: Rzeczpospolita Polska (Republic of Poland), the year of issue, and the face value. The background of the entire composition is a fragment of the imprint of the seal of the Supreme Council of the Duchy of Warsaw. The silhouette of a crowned eagle is reproduced here, which corresponds well to the Eagle of the Republic of Poland from the aforementioned circle.

On the reverse of the collector coin, the dominant motif is the obverse of the same 3-grosz coin of the Duchy of Warsaw. It features the crowned oval escutcheon of the Duchy (Saxon and Polish coats of arms). The background is the lower part of the cover of the Constitution of the Duchy of Warsaw. The upper part of the coin along the rim bears the inscription: 3 GROSZE KSIĘSTWA WARSZAWSKIEGO (3-grosz coin of the Duchy of Warsaw).

Stanisław Suchodolski

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