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1 Ferding
| Issuer | Riga, Free city of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1564-1569 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Fed#580, Neum#7, HaljakLiv#15-26 |
| Obverse description | Central depiction of the arms of Riga: a multi-towered city gate flanked by two towers, with crossed keys displayed in the archway above the gateway, all rendered in the late medieval heraldic style characteristic of Livonian civic coinage. A standing figure, possibly a guardian or civic personification, appears within the lower gateway. The shield is set within a circular legend divided by the design elements. The overall composition reflects the civic pride and heraldic conventions of the Free City of Riga. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | CIVITA - TIS - RIGEN (Translation: Civitatis Rigensis City of Riga) |
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| Additional information |
Riga's ferding denominations of this period reflect the monetary chaos following the collapse of the Livonian Confederation, dissolved under the pressure of Ivan the Terrible's invasion beginning in 1558. The city struck its own coinage during this interregnum precisely because no stable overlord existed to do it — the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth would not formally absorb Riga until 1581, leaving the city in an awkward position of de facto independence it was careful not to advertise too loudly.
The Haljak reference range spanning issues 15 through 26 indicates meaningful die variety across the emission, a consequence of continuous small-batch striking rather than a single coordinated production run.