Topics of coins
History of Polish Coin – The Gdansk Złoty of Augustus III)

The Saxon era is a period marking the fall of
the Polish coin. Practically speaking, coins were
not struck in the Commonwealth at that time. As
early as in 1685 the Sejm passed a resolution to close
the mints. However, this does not mean that there are
no coins bearing the names and titles of both kings
of the Saxon dynasty – Augustus II the Strong (1697–
1733) and his son, Augustus III (1733–1763). Such
coins were issued by these rulers, but in the territory
of Saxony. Saxon coins with Polish coats of arms were
also struck there. One should also recall the Polish
coins that were falsified by the King of Prussia,
Frederick II, and the Lithuanian szóstaks (six-grosz)
produced in the years 1706–1707 in Moscow.
The ban on minting operations in the Commonwealth
did not cover Royal Prussia. Among the coins of Augustus
III struck there, we are interested in the beautifully made Gdansk złoty (gulden) made at Prussian standard
with the denomination of 30 grosz of 1762. On the obverse
it has the crowned bust of the king facing to the right, with
the Order of the Golden Fleece around his neck. Along
the rim, the legend: D[ei] G[ratia] AVGVST[us] III R[ex]
POL[oniarum] M[agnus] D[ux] L[ithuaniae] R[ussiae]
P[russiae] D[ux] S[axoniae] & EL[ector], in other words,
By the grace of God Augustus III, King of Poland, Grand
Duke of Lithuania, Russia, Prussia, Duke of Saxony and
Prince-Elector. On the reverse was the great coat of arms of Gdansk (an oval shield held by two lions). Above
it, the face value: 30 GR[osz] and a wreath. Below
the coat of arms, the initials of the Gdansk master of
the mint Rudolf Ernest Oeckermann: R – E – OE and
the date 1762. Along the rim, the legend: MON[eta]
ARGENT[ea] CIVIT[atis] GEDANENS[is], in other
words: Silver coin of the city of Gdansk.
The main element on the obverse of the new
commemorative coin is the reverse of the Gdansk
złoty of 1762 described above, with the coat of arms of
the city. Next to it is a circular imprint with the image
of the Eagle established as the state emblem of the
Republic of Poland, an inscription: Rzeczpospolita
Polska (Republic of Poland), the year of issue: 2020
and the face value: 20 ZŁ. In the background can be
seen a pattern from the coronation robe of Augustus
III, which complements the decorations of
the Gdansk coat of arms. The obverse of the Gdansk
złoty, with the portrait of the king, is located on
the reverse of the coin. The background is a laser
underprint of a fragment of the plan of Warsaw of
1762. It is partly covered by the legend: ZŁOTÓWKA
GDAŃSKA AUGUSTA III.
Stanisław Suchodolski