1 Ducat Siege coinage

Danzig struck siege coinage in 1577 during the city's armed resistance against Stefan Bathory, the newly elected King of Poland, who moved to force the wealthy Hanseatic port into submission after it refused to recognize his election. The city held out for months, and emergency issues like this ducat were produced to pay defenders and demonstrate that civic authority — and the treasury — remained intact under blockade.

Bathory ultimately prevailed, but Danzig negotiated favorable terms rather than surrendering unconditionally, preserving most of its commercial privileges.