1/2 Thaler Polubradan

Ragusa — modern Dubrovnik — maintained its independence for centuries through a combination of shrewd diplomacy and carefully managed neutrality, paying tribute to both the Ottoman Empire and, at various points, the Habsburg crown simultaneously. The polubradan was the republic's own nomenclature for the half-thaler denomination, a term derived from the Slavic word for beard, referencing the saint's image — though describing coin iconography is beside the point here. What matters is that Ragusan silver coinage of this period was underpinned by strict weight ordinances enforced by the Rector's office, and debasement was treated as a civic crime.

KM# 13 is among the more frequently encountered survivors of the mid-18th century Ragusan series, the republic continuing to mint independently until Napoleon's dissolution of the city-state in 1806.