Catalog
1/2 Groat (półgrosz) - Sigismund II August (1st eagle, titles on knight side)
| Issuer | Grand Duchy of Lithuania |
|---|---|
| Year | 1545-1546 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Armored knight on horseback advancing left, right arm raised and brandishing a sword. The horse is depicted in full stride with detailed caparison. The date appears in the lower field below the horse. The entire design is enclosed within a beaded inner circle, with the ruler's titles forming the surrounding legend in the outer ring. |
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| Obverse lettering | SIGIS AVG REX POL M D L 1545 (Translation: Sigismund August, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania.) |
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| Additional information |
Sigismund II August began issuing Lithuanian półgrosze in his own name while still co-regent under his father, Sigismund I — a politically delicate arrangement that produced brief, transitional coinage types before the elder king's death in 1548 clarified the succession. The 1st eagle designation in the typology reflects early die work before the heraldic rendering was standardized across the mint's output.
Billon at .375 fine was already a compromised alloy by mid-16th century standards, and these pieces circulated hard in a region where small silver was perpetually scarce.